Update 2022: Definr doesn’t exist anymore. From now on, use some other alternative instead.
Definr is a simple and fast free o0nline dictionary. It comes with a very basic interface, in which only a text box is available. You need to enter the word whose meaning you need to find and it will immediately show you the meaning (and lots of other information, that you would expect from a good online dictionary).
Developed by Christian von Kleist, Definr is based on Princeton’s WordNet 2.0. This means that it has a pretty comprehensive database of English words.
This online dictionary also has auto-complete functionality. So, as you type, it immediately starts showing you suggestions. This enables you to look up for a word in just fractions of a second! How cool is that?
Definr also gives you words/phrase suggestions related to the word that you are looking for. You can download the Definr extension for Firefox, and look up words directly from the Firefox browser!
How Fast is Definr: The fast online dictionary
Definr has a straightforward interface. When it says “incredibly fast”, it means business! The site has a single page layout with nothing but a search box and the logo. Below the search box, you see three links that take you to alternate ways to look up words, top 50 words of the day, and a brief summary about Definr.
Like any other online dictionary, simply type the word that you want to look up. Meep it! And in less than (usually less than) a second , you will be blessed with the meaning of the word!
Technical Details of Definr”
So, how does Definr do it?
Powered by Ruby on Rails, Definr caches a minimum of 10,000 words in memory. These enables the site to deliver the results as fast as you type! Definer has a strong auto completion algorithm that goes through 200,000 words without caching. And this search takes place in a totally different server. Definr can do 10,000 completions per second without wasting a sweat!
Also see: Free Dictionary Software
Moreover, you can check the real time server status that shows the total number of requests, word lookup speed, etc. Below is the screenshot of the word lookup speed at the time I was writing this article:
You can also check out the Word of the Day section which features a particular or unique word, something new to learn! The section also gives a notable quotation from someone famous! You can also send word suggestions to feature in the Word of the Day section.
Definr also offers an extension for Firefox with which you can directly lookup for words directly from the Firefox browser! In order to add the Definr extension, simple open Definr site from Firefox. From the drop down menu of the search engine, click on “Add “Definr dictionary search”. However, the extension is not as fast as the site itself. But it’s still a way of going about.
Conclusion
The extremely fast and minimalist interface are the strong points of Definr. It is a decent enough dictionary app which seems reliable and efficient enough to lookup for word definitions. However, you cannot expect its word glossary to be as in-deptth and comprehensive as other popular web dictionaries like Oxford or Mariam! It’s good enough for me, because its simple, fast, and accurate!