While at the 2nd annual MSN Butterfly Tour the topic came up of using search to look up the definition of words. I mentioned to the testers that it can be done by using the “define” keyword.
For example, say I want to look up the definition of the word “sibilance” to make sure I’m using it correctly. Typing “define sibilance” into the MSN tool bar or the MSN search page will return your typical search results, but at the top of the page you’ll find a definition of the word from Encarta.
MSN search supports a variety of phrases to tell it you want specific information. You can get the same results as “define” by using the phrases “what is [word]” or “what is the definition of [word]?” (but typing “define” is, of course, fastest).
Here are some other cool searches:
- Health: “calories in spinach” or “protein in chicken“
- Math: “5+1/sqrt 4“
- Conversions: “80 meters in feet“
- Algebra: “4x=19“
Why waste time going to the bookshelf for a dictionary or encyclopedia?