Filed under: OS, Software, Productivity, Tips and tricks, TUAW Tips
TUAW Tip: hold ctrl-cmd-d while mousing for live definitions
Many of you power users know that pressing ctrl-cmd-d in many Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger applications (except Firefox and a few others) will yield a handy pop-up definition window, drawing information from the standalone Dictionary app that sits in your Applications folder. However, if you didn't know that, well, you now have at least one reason to claim the 'power user' (nerd!) throne.I just found that if you hold down that keyboard combo, you can move the mouse over text to receive a live pop-up that keeps updating definitions as you mouse over new words. It seems to perform pretty well, though I am running on a fairly recent 1.83 Core Duo MacBook with 1GB RAM, so YMMV.
I'm not entirely sure how handy this will be in daily activities, but I figured I'd post it since you creative readers so often surprise us with finding new uses for tips like this. Enjoy.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Simon Iannelli said 7:10AM on 11-27-2006
works in every cocoa-app
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MacCrazy said 7:25AM on 11-27-2006
It's pretty fast on my 1.67GHz G4 as well. I did know about this feature but it's always worth a mention as it's pretty awesome!
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Sjakelien said 7:25AM on 11-27-2006
For a non-native speaker, like me, this is a real life saver.
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Leonard Nimrod said 7:39AM on 11-27-2006
This hint hit MacOSXHints.com klast year when Tiger was still new.
The most prductive way to use this feature is to change the default keycombinations to a single toggle key (i.e.: an F-key). This will facilitate the free movement of the mouse while the definitions appear on each mouseover.
Also, if you prefer or need the built in Thesauruses just change the default view in Dictionary.app to make synonyms appear instead.
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Tony Ward said 8:11AM on 11-27-2006
That is quite spiffy. Thank you!
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Tony Ward said 8:14AM on 11-27-2006
Update: no go in Word 2004 (big friggin' surprise).
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djjjimmy said 8:36AM on 11-27-2006
does anybody know which is the best application (or online list) with shortcuts such as this ? it's really a shame that we don't have all this in a nice nifty place :-( or am i wrong ? it may be escaped my attention but i never show this before ..
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stew400523 said 9:04AM on 11-27-2006
which key is cmd?
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Craig said 9:17AM on 11-27-2006
I have been using this feature for ages and it is brilliant. One of those rare little gems that those folks at Apple been thinking. Funny how small things can bring happiness!
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BdeRWest said 9:22AM on 11-27-2006
Like the first comment said, works in ever cocoa app, but ONLY cocoa apps.
Which is to say, a lot of apps, but a lot more don't support. I remember reading this somewhere else, and a person in that thread brought up the point that this isn't Apple's fault, but rather third-party developers'. They should be accountable for seamless integration. Oh well, for the cocoa apps with which it works, woohoo.
Stew: Command is the key directly to the left and right of your space bar. It looks like a wonky #.
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Steve Rubel said 9:24AM on 11-27-2006
You can enable the same functionality in Firefox using the Answers.com extension.
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Allan L. said 9:39AM on 11-27-2006
Great. Now, how do we switch languages?
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Dan said 10:06AM on 11-27-2006
I wonder if the actual command character would show up... let's try.
⌘
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kg said 10:09AM on 11-27-2006
I really like this feature. I'd like it even more if it worked! It looks like it only works for some time after starting the OS, then it dies (ie. the shortcut doesn't do anything). I searched the web, couldn't find anything relevant.
Did anyone have a similar issue and managed to resolve it?
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c. said 10:40AM on 11-27-2006
RE: #8
"which key is cmd?"
It's the Command key (aka the 'clover'-looking key). If you're not using a 3rd-party keyboard, it should also have an Apple logo on the key.
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Smivey said 10:43AM on 11-27-2006
Two more notes:
1) I've noticed that this keyboard command sometimes causes an unexpected crash in Safari.
2) I've also noticed that after you've hit the three keys and the definition appears, you can release all but the CNTRL key and still move the cursor around for other on-the-fly definitions. If you let go of everything but the COMMAND key, the definition will stay up, but it won't move with the cursor.
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mark said 12:12PM on 11-27-2006
not working on my machine -- a 2-day-old macbook pro!
i'm assuming it should work in safari?? i'm pressing control-command-d while mousing over words, and nothing happens. i even double-clicked to highlight
words, but nothing! suggestions? thanks.
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Kusmayadi said 12:14PM on 11-27-2006
nice features. I pointed the cursor to text "Mac", guess what? The dictionary said: a mackintosh. Mispelled? :D
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consumer_q said 12:20PM on 11-27-2006
the definition updates work well with a 500MHz G4 too.
I have been using it with Vienna RSS reader
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Matt J said 12:23PM on 11-27-2006
It doesn't work in every cocoa app, Camino being the notable exception. It's a shame really, because it's really the onlly app I'd use it in.
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