dict

dict - DICT Protocol Client

I dict  word

I dict  [options] [word]

I dict  [options] dict://host:port/d:word:database

I dict  [options] dict://host:port/m:word:database:strategy

dict is a client for the Dictionary Server Protocol (DICT), a TCP transaction based query/response protocol that provides access to dictionary definitions from a set of natural language dictionary databases. dict uses the system's default pager ($PAGER) to display responses. This default behavior may be modified in the configuration file or on the command line. Exit status is 0 if operation succeeded, or non-zero otherwise.
See EXIT STATUS section.

I -h server or --host server

I -p service or --port service

I -d dbname or --database dbname

R -m or --match

I -s strategy or --strategy strategy

R -C or --nocorrect

I -c file or --config file

R -D or --dbs

R -S or --strats

R -H or --serverhelp

I -i dbname or --info dbname

R -I or --serverinfo

R -M or --mime

The configuration file currently has a very simple format. Lines are used to specify servers, for example:

Servers are tried in the order listed until a connection is made. If none of the specified servers are available, and the compile-time option (./configure --enable-dictorg) is enabled, then an attempt will be made to connect on localhost and on dict.org at the standard part (2628). (This option is disabled by default.) We expect that dict.org will point to one or more DICT servers (perhaps in round-robin fashion) for the foreseeable future (starting in July 1997), although it is difficult to predict anything on the Internet for more than about 3-6 months.

The configuration file also allows the setting of a pager (keyword R pager ), similar to the --pager option.

0 Successful completion

20 No matches found
21 Approximate matches found
22 No databases available
23 No strategies available

30 Unexpected response code from server
31 Server is temporarily unavailable
32 Server is shutting down
33 Syntax error, command not recognized
34 Syntax error, illegal parameters
35 Command not implemented
36 Command parameter not implemented
37 Access denied
38 Authentication failed
39 Invalid database
40 Invalid strategy
41 Connection to server failed

dict was written by Rik Faith (faith@cs.unc.edu) and is distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License. If you need to distribute under other terms, write to the author.

The main libraries used by this programs (zlib, regex, libmaa) are distributed under different terms, so you may be able to use the libraries for applications which are incompatible with the GPL -- please see the copyright notices and license information that come with the libraries for more information, and consult with your attorney to resolve these issues.

If a dict: URL is given on the command line, only the first one is used. The rest are ignored.

If a dict: URL contains a specifier for the nth definition or match of a word, it will be ignored and all the definitions or matches will be provided. This violates the RFC, and will be corrected in a future release.

If a dict: URL contains a shared secret, it will not be parsed correctly.

When OPTION MIME command is sent to the server (-M option) , server's capabilities are not checked.

~/.dictrc
/etc/dict.conf (/etc/dictd/dict.conf on Debian systems.)

dictd(8), dictzip(1), R http://www.dict.org, RFC 2229