An unofficial blog that watches Google's attempts to move your operating system online since 2005. Not affiliated with Google.

Send your tips to gostips@gmail.com.

December 18, 2009

On Google's Unofficial Dictionary API

Google Dictionary has an undocumented API that's used in Google Docs. You can obtain a JSON output using a URL like:

http://www.google.com/dictionary/json?callback=dict_api.callbacks.id100&q=test&sl=en&tl=en&restrict=pr%2Cde&client=te

(replace test with your favorite keyword).

A developer built a Chrome extension that used Google Dictionary API to display the definitions of a word without opening a new page.


A few days after releasing the extension, Google asked the developer to stop using the API.

"Until recently, this extension was known as Google Dictionary Lookup and used as its data source the Google Dictionary. Unfortunately, due to Google's contracts with their data providers, they are not legally allowed to expose the Dictionary API to third parties, and as such, I was forced to switch providers. (...) In the spirit of FOSS, I'm leaving the source code of the previous version available at my site until Dec 25, but you are solely responsible for its use, and I urge you not to abuse the Google Dictionary API," explains Max.

If you'd like to see an official API for Google Dictionary, star this issue.

15 comments:

  1. Your article is very good.I like it very much.
    Once upon a time, there was a mouse father.He wanted to marry his daughter to the greatest person in the world.But, who was the greatest person in the world?Oh!
    puma ferrari shoes
    cheap nike shoesThe sun! He must be the greatest person in the world.The mouse father went to talk to the sun."Hello! Mr. Sun.
    puma shoes
    ferrari shoes
    I know you are the greatest person in the world.Would you marry my daughter?""What? I'm not the greatest person in the world. The greatest person is the cloud.If he comes out, I’ll be covered."
    nike shox nz
    Ugg Boots
    The mouse father went to talk to the cloud. “Hello! Mr. Cloud. I know you are the greatest person in the world. Would you marry my daughter?”
    nike 360 air max
    nike shox shoes
    “What? I’m not the greatest person in the world. The greatest person is the wind.If he comes out, I’ll be blown away.”
    cheap puma shoes
    puma drift cat
    The mouse father went to talk to the wind. “Hello! Mr. Wind. I know you are the greatest person in the world.Would you marry my daughter?” “What? I’m not the greatest person in the world. The greatest person is the wall. If he comes out, I’ll be stopped.”
    cheap nike shox
    nike air max 360
    The mouse father went to talk to the wall. “Hello! Mr. Wall. I know you are the greatest person in the world. Would you marry my daughter?” “What? I’m not the greatest person in the world. The greatest person is YOU, the mouse.” “The greatest person in the world is … mouse?” “Yes, the greatest person in the world is mouse. See? If mouse comes out, I’ll be bit!”
    nike air max
    pumas shoes
    The mouse father was very happy. He finally knew mouse was the greatest person in the world. He would marry his daughter to the handsome mouse next door.
    spot season
    Running in Autumn
    It is time for sporting
    cheap jordan shoes

    ReplyDelete
  2. nice one....but i am waiting 4 google 2 release api for dictionary.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I too want to see an official API for dictionary!

    ReplyDelete
  4. http://dictionary.reference.com/api/

    ReplyDelete
  5. Very cool. I've been wanting to find a dictionary api to toy around with in a program.

    ReplyDelete
  6. i am searching for a google API that cab return the categories, for example if i search dog it should return all the categories dog belongs to for example : animal, mammal etc.

    can anyone help with this?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Weird, for most of Googles api's they ask for a key. Guess they haven't got to it on this one yet lol.

    Matt
    my error site

    ReplyDelete
  8. How you decode your json array. I used json_decode and it is not working

    ReplyDelete
  9. see this: http://www.gdicts.com , just by using this unofficial api

    ReplyDelete
  10. I only just found out about google dictionary api and got pretty excited until I read to the bottom of the article. Would love to see an official api, until then there are quite a lot of other options.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Comment should not be empty

    ReplyDelete
  12. an official version would be welcomed. and by the way the google dictionary is not working anymore.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. try to find for wordnik which provides api for the dictionary.

      Delete
  13. Wodlink is much better than this for now:

    http://developer.wordnik.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. Very nice post
    Thanks a lot
    http://www.newseo.ir/

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.