Medical Translation Insight

As medical translators, we are always on the lookout for relevant terminology lists and glossaries. Wordnik is the latest addition to our tool chest.

Currently in beta, Wordnik isn't so much a dictionary as a way to explore words and expressions. For each search term in its database, Wordnik gives useful links for definitions, usage examples, and pronunciation.

Also useful are the Flickr images that get displayed. It's nice to be able to get a visual.

Wordnik claims to provide information on 1.7 million English words. And "words" mean just that - almost no sentences or expressions are included. In other words, you can find information on "ligaments" but not "medial collateral ligaments".

The site also struggles with different versions of a term. For instance, "ligaments" and "ligament" contain different information. Similarly, the site maintains entries for close to a dozen different variations of "orthopedic".

Despite these limitations, Wordnik deserves a place amongst your bookmarks.

Further reading:

• Medical word of the day
• Treasure trove of medical glossaries
• glossifier helps you understand medical articles