---
name: "wordinspect"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "wordinspect"
version: "0.1a-8.2"
release: "Debian 3.1 (Sarge)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/wordinspect"
---

# wordinspect(1)

graphical front-end to the dict program

## NAME

wordinspect - graphical front-end to the dict program

## SYNOPSIS

**wordinspect** \[**--help**\|**--version**\]\
 **wordinspect** \[**--dict=*/path/to/dict***\] \[**--clipboard**\] \[**--search**\|**--define**\] \[*searchstring*\]

## DESCRIPTION

**wordinspect** is a graphical front-end to the  [**dict**(1)](/dict/1.md) program.  The  **dict** program allows you to search through one or more dictionary-like reference books for a word, then displays its definition. **wordinspect** expands that by allowing you to enter words to look up more easily, easily look up words that appear in the definition for another word, and automatically look up a word in the X Window selection.

Simply enter the word you want to look up, and hit Enter or the \`Search' button. **wordinspect** will pause while it looks up the word, then pop up a new window with the definition if it could find it, or some suggestions if it couldn't.  If it can't find anything that even resembles the word you entered, it will display a window letting you know that, too.

In any  **wordinspect** window, you can right-click (button 3) on a word or phrase to get a menu of various ways to get more information on that word.  Currently, the two choices are to define the word (look it up directly), or search for it (pop up a search window with that word entered in it).

This is especially useful for following-up on cross references, synonyms or antonyms that may be given with the definition.  If the cross reference (synonym, antonym, etc.) is a a multi-word phrase, select the phrase with the button 1, as if you were going to paste it into another window, then right-click on the selection to see the same menu for the entire phrase.  Spaces are treated as if the phrase were quoted, and newlines and punctuation are automatically removed from your selection, to help [**dict**(1)](/dict/1.md) find it.

Of course, you can copy any information you'd like from the **wordinspect** window for pasting into other applications.  Like in most X applications, hilighting the words with the button 1 makes it the primary selection, and you don't have to hit anything to paste it into another application.

When you are finished reading the definition for a word, click on the \`OK' button at the bottom to get rid of the window.  If you searched for a word, you can search for another one by just replacing the word you typed and hitting Enter or Search again. **wordinspect** won't exit until you have closed all of its windows, so you can close anything (including Word Finder windows) at any time.

## OPTIONS

- **--help**

  Display all options available for  **wordinspect**.

- **--version**

  Display  **wordinspect**'s current version and copyright.

- **--search**

  Search for the word provided on the command line \[Default\].

- **--define**

  Define the word provided on the command line.

- **--clipboard**

  Use the word currently in X's primary selection (the clipboard) as if it were typed on the command line.  Useful for launching from a menu or hot-key.

- **--dict=***/path/to/dict*

  Use the copy of dict in */path/to/dict*.

## AUTHOR

**wordinspect** was written by Scott W. Gifford \<sgifford@tir.com\>.

This manual page was created by Roland Rosenfeld \<roland@spinnaker.de\>  for the Debian project (but may be used by others).

## SEE ALSO

[**dict**(1)](/dict/1.md)