RECLearning Lab
Library

Apple Dictionaries

Oxford · Longman · Collins

The three English–Chinese learner's dictionaries I use every day, built for the Mac Dictionary app — look up any word anywhere with a three-finger tap.

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Why am I sharing this?

On my computer I no longer load a pile of word lists into an app like Eudic.

Most of the time I just search the word on Google. Next comes the Mac's own Dictionary app: simple and always there, a three-finger tap on any word and the meaning pops up in place. People online have made dictionaries that work in Apple's Dictionary app, and these three bilingual ones are the ones I use, so they're here too. If you're on a Mac like me, give them a try:

    • The Oxford Advanced Learner's English-Chinese Dictionary (10th edition) is the newest, with fresh words and a clean layout, but no sound;
    • The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (5th edition) explains words in simple English with everyday examples;
    • The Collins COBUILD Advanced English-Chinese Learner's Dictionary explains each meaning in a full sentence, like someone showing you how the word is used.

  2. These three only work on a Mac. Installing is simple: unzip, put the dictionary files in the Dictionaries folder inside your Library, then tick them in the Dictionary app's settings. If you get stuck, search online for a guide. Or if you have an AI agent (not a chatbot, but an AI agent that can work your computer), just let it do it.

  3. Try: “Unzip the Apple dictionary files in my Downloads folder, install them in this Mac's Dictionary app, and tick them all in its settings.”

  4. This little tool has helped me, so I'm sharing it with you. If you need it, give it a try; if not, just skip it! ✌️

— Eric