There are all different kinds of dictionaries in the world today. Some offer a lot of pictures and are called picture dictionaries, others offer words for a specific topic or subject. Check your local library for various dictionaries and see if there is one on your favorite topic.

There are visual dictionaries available on line, here is a small sampling…

http://www.visualdictionaryonline.com/ – Click on a picture or type what you are looking for in the search box. This site offers both words and pictures.

https://visuwords.com/dictionary – Put a word in the search bar on the top of the page and the site will show the word in the middle and branch off into other related words. It is similar to a mind map.When you move over a word with your mouse, its meaning will pop-up.

http://www.ikonet.com/en/visualdictionary/ –  Click on any picture to begin exploring one of the 17 themes the site has to offer. You can search for topics too. Click on the icon that looks like a speaker to hear how it’s said. Meanings for words are also provided in that area.

https://infovisual.info/en – Click on any topic offered or put your own word in the search bar. You’ll get a labeled picture with an explanation for each labeled part of the picture.

https://7esl.com/ – This is a visual dictionary of terms for people learning English. Scroll down the page for the meanings of each picture offered.

Regular online dictionaries…
For these sites, you can type a word in the search area to find out what it means.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/

http://www.dictionary.com/

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/

http://www.thesaurus.com/ – This site offers both a dictionary and a thesaurus.

Look for specialized dictionaries too:

https://www.dailywritingtips.com/5-types-of-specialized-dictionaries/

Here’s an activity Everyone can do…little ones may need some help.

Make your own specialized dictionary based on a favorite topic: Use copy, graph, lined, or construction paper to make your dictionary, and staple or sew the booklet together. Write a letter on each page in ABC order, then choose a topic for your dictionary. Write a word on each page that begins with that letter. Next, add pictures or draw something that relates to your chosen topic if possible, and/or write its meaning, a little bit about it, a sentence, an observation, or something else.

Here’s a video about how to make a simple book, and while recommended for early learners, older kids and adults can use this concept to make their own books with better quality materials if desired.

This video shows how to bind your own books with a Saddle Stitch…