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One of the most useful ways to get to the common definition of a word is to simply search for "define X" in Google or a browser address bar. This then gives you a definition of the word as what appears to be the top result of a regular search.

To copy and past that link back to ELL involves a massive URL that I'm not sure is static.

Is there a good way to link to "Google define" results?

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  • Related: What sorts of dictionaries should we use on ELL?. Sometimes answers contain links to Google searches instead of links to actual dictionaries. However, this is a bad idea for a number of reasons. The most important one is that Google doesn't show definitions to all users, so the people clicking your link might not see a definition. For that reason alone, we should avoid these links.
    – ColleenV
    Commented Jan 21, 2022 at 15:05
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    Also, this discussion on English Language & Usage might be interesting.
    – ColleenV
    Commented Jan 21, 2022 at 15:08
  • @ColleenV that is interesting. It's a shame google's current dictionary doesn't seem to be freely available online, as it is often easy to understand and I'd love to cite it directly.
    – Jontia
    Commented Jan 21, 2022 at 16:03
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    Google doesn't have a dictionary. It licenses content Oxford Languages, which powers Lexico and Oxford Learner's Dictionaries. I find searching a full dictionary more fruitful, and, for some situations, definitions from learner's dictionaries can be superior because they include easy-to-read information on countability, how common a word is, lots of example sentences, etc. Compare Oxford Learner's to Google's snippet.
    – ColleenV
    Commented Jan 21, 2022 at 18:22
  • Indeed. But sometimes, the short and simple versions that Define pops out are exactly what a questioner needs.
    – Jontia
    Commented Jan 21, 2022 at 18:51

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I think you just need the q parameter: https://www.google.com/search?q=define+language produces

(note that the space has been transformed to a + – otherwise Stack Exchange thinks the link ends after 'define')

For some background, see What are the different parameters used in Google search? on our sister site Web Applications Stack Exchange.

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