Look Up Words Across Mac Apps
Keep the page, document, message, or video visible while Dictionary opens the meaning or translation beside it.
Match the action to the text
- Place the pointer over selectable text for a quick meaning.
- Select a word, sentence, or paragraph for lookup, translation, or rewriting.
- Choose Dictionary from macOS Services when the app provides selected text to Services.
- Frame words with OCR in images, video frames, screenshots, charts, and scanned pages.
Turn lookups into study material
Dictionary saves useful lookups in history. Build a story from the words you looked up that day, then review words, history, and stories on a forgetting-curve schedule. Mac and iOS sync history and items due for review.
Related guides
FAQ
How does Dictionary support language learning?
Dictionary saves lookup history, builds stories from saved words, schedules review with a forgetting curve, and syncs history and due items between Mac and iOS.
How do I look up words shown in images?
Frame the visible words with OCR and open the meaning or translation beside the image.
Which Mac apps support direct lookup?
Apps that expose selectable text or hover capture support direct lookup; OCR handles visible text in images, video frames, screenshots, and scanned pages.