How to Play the Game Dictionary

Begin by explaining that no one has to be a word whiz to play “Dictionary.” In fact, a word will be disqualified if someone in the group actually knows its meaning.

Start the game by looking for an unusual word in the dictionary. For our example, we’ll use the word “carnelian.” Say the word aloud to the group, spell it, and ask if anyone knows the meaning. If no one does, game play proceeds. If someone knows the meaning, choose another word.

Ask everyone to write, on a piece of scratch paper, his or her own definition of “carnelian." Of course, these will all be entirely made up. The object is to come up with a definition that sounds as though it could be real.

Meanwhile, write the actual definition on a piece of scratch paper.

Collect all of the papers and shuffle them thoroughly. Read each definition aloud. Mix the real definition in there somewhere with all the fake ones.Here are some definitions of the word “carnelian” from a recent game:--a religious order of Eastern monks--a hard reddish translucent material--a deep brown shade of oil paint--a kind of tunnel dug by miners(The correct answer is the second one.)

Ask players to guess the correct definition. Anyone who guesses right earns five points. Anyone whose definition is chosen as the real one gets 10 points for everyone who fell for it. And if no one guesses the real definition, you earn 10 points.

Play the second round. (Note: The other dictionary is always in the hand of the player who will be going next, so she can be looking up her word while the current round is being played.)

Keep track of the score. One round is completed when each player has had a turn to challenge the other players with a word from the dictionary. A typical game consists of three rounds (but it depends on the number of players).