omething I’ve always wanted to try. As we continue through the letter D, we’ve got more fun with animals, some fun obscurities, and an excuse to make Spaceballs references.

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Dream a little dream of me… because dream is defined as “a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep,” while also meaning something beautiful or something dreamlike. Then there’s dreamland, “an unreal delightful country that exists in imagination or in dreams.” I wondered why it has to be a country specifically, but this is followed by dreamworld, “a world of illusion or fantasy.” The world sounds more far-out than the land.

There are more definitions for dress than you’d think. Some are about clothing, but there’s also “to apply medicine,” “to arrange the hair by combing, brushing,” and even “to apply fertilizer to.”

There are 23 different definitions for drive, with a lot of them overlapping. To drive a car is “to convey a vehicle.” I wonder if “convey” was really the best word to use here, but I’m not the one editing a dictionary. The definition “to bring to a specified condition.” This is followed up by a rare example sentence – or phrase in this case, “the noise drives me crazy.” Me too, friend.

In addition to a soundtrack for movies, TV, or radio, a dub can also be “a clumsy person” or “to confer knighthood on.” I wonder who the clumsiest knight is.

More fun with animals! A duck is “any of various swimming birds related to but smaller than geese and swans.” A did a little further googling, and yes, there’s a wide variety of different kinds of ducks. Then I learn that duck can also mean “a durable or closely woven usually cotton fabric.” Who would brag about wearing duck?

Things get dark with dystopia, “an imagined world in which people lead wretched, fearful lives.” Imagined, you say?

Hey, look at that. We’ve made it to the letter E! The first word after the letter is each, defined as “being one of the class named.” But does that properly define it?

Earth is dirt and soil, and “the planet on which we live that is 3d in order from the sun.” This is the first time the dictionary has written in first person. Also note that it doesn’t say “third” or “3rd,” but “3d.” I don’t dare suggest that the dictionary has a typo, do I?

An ebook is of course “a book in digital form for display on a computer screen or handheld device.” But wait, the dictionary insists on a hyphen, making it e-book, even though everyone I follow in writing/publishing has moved onto just “ebook” by now. I hope this doesn’t mean everyone will start debating “online novel vs. web novel” again.

Educe is another word for “deduce.” I don’t remember Sherlock Holmes ever using that one.

Electricity gets an unusually wordy definition, “a form of energy that occurs naturally (as in lightning) or is produced (as in a generator) and that is expressed in the movement and interaction of electrons.” This is followed by several pages of science-y words that have “electric-”  or “electro-” prefixes.

There’s an ENTIRE PAGE devoted to element. Specifically, a long list of all the chemical elements, listing the symbols, atomic numbers, and atomic weights for each one. Looking over the list, I think the funniest-sounding names are livermorium, praseodymium, and ytterbium.

Fantasy doesn’t get as much love as science in this section, because an elf is nothing but “a mischievous fairy.” Nothing about them being immortal or being great archers or anything. Also nothing about them making presents at the North Pole.

Embouchure is “the position and use of the lips, tongue, and teeth in playing a wind instrument.” Any musicians out there want to chime in with how often this word actually gets used?

The dictionary keeps up with the times by including emoji, defined as “any of various small images, symbols, or icons used in text fields in electronic communications to express something (as an emotion) without using words.” How many years until the dictionary starts dropping in emojis at the end of each definition?

Finally, there’s enchilada, “a tortilla rolled around a filling covered with chili sauce and usually baked.” Great, now I’m hungry.

Next: Enforce this!

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