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Merriam-Webster
Dictionary Lookup Button

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Looking up words on the web just got easier with the Merriam-Webster Dictionary Lookup Button!

Add this helpful tool to the toolbar of your internet browser. Then, highlight any word in a Web page, click the button, and a dictionary entry of the word will appear. It's free and easy to install. Just follow the instructions below.

Adding the Dictionary Lookup Button to
Internet Explorer, 4.x or higher

  1. Make sure that the Links toolbar is visible. (Right click on toolbar and make sure that 'Links' is checked.)
  2. Drag this Dictionary link onto the Links toolbar. A dictionary button should appear on the Links toolbar with a Microsoft Internet Explorer icon.
    (As you drag the link, you will see a circle with a line through it until you reach a point on the toolbar that is next to an already existing button. When you see a thick black vertical line where you want the button to go, you can drop the link.)
  3. To replace the Microsoft Internet Explorer default icon with a Merriam-Webster icon (optional), follow these steps:

    • Right click on the Merriam-Webster logo below. Select 'Save Target As ...' and save the Merriam-Webster icon file as MW.ico on your hard drive. (Be sure to change the file extension from .html to .ico if necessary and remember where you saved it.)

      mw1.gif (286 bytes)

    • Right click on the new Dictionary button you just added to the Links toolbar and select 'Properties.'
    • From the 'Properties' dialog box select 'Internet Shortcut' and 'Change Icon.'
    • Find and select the icon image file (MW.ico) that you just saved to your hard-drive. Click 'Browse' to find the file on your computer.
    • Click 'OK,' then click 'Apply' and 'OK' to replace the icon. (If a dialog box tells you "The protocol 'javascript' does not have a registered program" and asks "Do you want to keep this target anyway?" choose 'Yes.') 
    You can now view the definition of a word by highlighting it and clicking on the Merriam-Webster Dictionary Lookup Button in the Internet Explorer Links toolbar. If you click on the button without selecting a word, a dialog box will prompt you to select a word.

    The Dictionary Lookup Button may not operate properly when used with pages that include frames or other dynamic features.

    Removing the button from Internet Explorer

    1. Place your cursor over the button and right click.
    2. Select "Delete." 
    3. Select "Yes."

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    Adding the Dictionary Lookup Button to
    Netscape Communicator, 4.x, 6.1 or higher

    1. Make sure that the Personal Toolbar is visible. (Click on the 'View' menu item and select 'Show Personal Toolbar' if it is not visible.
    2. Drag this Dictionary link onto the Personal Toolbar. A dictionary button should appear on the Personal Toolbar with a Netscape icon.  (As you drag the link, you will see a circle with a line through it until you reach the toolbar.)

    You can now view the definition of a word by highlighting it and clicking on the Merriam-Webster Dictionary Lookup Button in the Netscape Communicator Links toolbar. If double-clicking does not work, try swiping the word to highlight it. If you click on the button without selecting a word, a dialog box will prompt you to select a word.

    The Dictionary Lookup Button may not operate properly when used with pages that include frames or other dynamic features.

    Removing the button from Netscape

    1. Click on the "Bookmarks" button on your toolbar and select "Edit Bookmarks...."
    2. Locate the "Personal Toolbar Folder" and select the item in that folder called "Dictionary" (or whatever you named the button).
    3. Right click on your selection and select "Delete."

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    The Merriam-Webster Dictionary Lookup Button is based on the bookmarklet technology described at www.bookmarklets.com.




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