Definition Card Screensaver
The Definition Card screensaver shows a real dictionary entry at a time from the key-less Free Dictionary API: pronunciation, part of speech, senses, an example and synonyms, set in a serif face. It's free, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.
Live preview
Press ESC to leave fullscreen. Settings are saved in your browser only.
How the Definition Card screensaver works
The saver reads the Free Dictionary API directly in your browser — no key and no account.
A real dictionary entry at a time from the key-less Free Dictionary API: pronunciation, part of speech, senses, an example and synonyms, set in a serif face..
It refreshes on a schedule, so what you see stays current.
Colours can be changed in settings; nothing is stored beyond your own browser.
Reading an entry from the Free Dictionary API
The Free Dictionary API is an open-source project, linked from its homepage to a GitHub repository, that returns structured English dictionary data as JSON. A request to its English endpoint with a word returns the headword, a phonetic string, a list of phonetics that sometimes include an audio file, and a list of meanings grouped by part of speech.
Within each part of speech there are one or more definitions. Each definition can carry an example sentence and lists of synonyms and antonyms, though those fields are often empty. That structure is why one word can show a noun sense and a verb sense with quite different meanings. Phonetic transcriptions record sounds rather than spelling, so they can look unlike an everyday respelling.
Coverage is uneven. The service’s homepage does not name where its data comes from, so the saver can only show what a response contains: common words tend to return fuller entries, while rare, technical or very new words may be thin or missing. Missing examples or synonyms are left blank rather than invented.
A worked example
A real dictionary entry at a time from the key-less Free Dictionary API: pronunciation, part of speech, senses, an example and synonyms, set in a serif face.
Settings & tips
- Accent and Background recolour the display.
- Data comes straight from the Free Dictionary API in your browser.
- Press ESC to leave fullscreen.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this real data?
- Yes — it comes from the Free Dictionary API and is refreshed on a schedule.
- Is a key needed?
- No. This source is fully key-less.
- Is it free?
- Yes — free, no download, in your browser.
- Why do some entries lack an example sentence?
- The example field is optional in each definition, so only some senses include one. The display shows what the response contains and does not invent missing parts.
- What is the notation next to the word?
- It is a phonetic transcription that represents pronunciation independently of the spelling. Responses can also include an audio file for some words.
- Does it cover languages other than English?
- The endpoint this saver uses is the English one, so it shows English headwords and definitions.