encyclopedia
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encyclopedia
A reference work in book form or digital form that explains terms, names, or factual topics in alphabetical order.
Früher schlug man unbekannte Wörter in einem dicken Lexikon nach, heute nutzt man meist das Internet.
In the past, people looked up unfamiliar words in a thick encyclopedia; today, they mostly use the internet.
When referring to a reference work, 'Lexikon' (encyclopedia) is often used with the verbs 'nachschlagen' (to look up), 'benutzen' (to use), or 'konsultieren' (to consult).
Ich muss die Bedeutung dieses Fachbegriffs im Lexikon nachschlagen.
I need to look up the meaning of this technical term in the encyclopedia.
The metaphorical meaning for a very knowledgeable person is almost always used in the fixed expression 'ein wandelndes Lexikon' (a walking encyclopedia). 'Wandelnd' here means something like 'walking' or 'living'.
Wenn du etwas über Pflanzen wissen willst, frag meine Oma. Sie ist ein wandelndes Lexikon.
If you want to know something about plants, ask my grandma. She is a walking encyclopedia.
You can easily distinguish the two meanings: if the word refers to a book or a digital database, it means the reference work. If it describes a person, the metaphorical meaning is intended.
Dieses Online-Lexikon ist sehr hilfreich für meine Hausaufgaben.
This online encyclopedia is very helpful for my homework.
expert
'der Experte' and 'das Lexikon' can both point to a person with a lot of knowledge. 'Experte' is the normal term for someone who knows a specialist field very well. In this relation, 'Lexikon' figuratively means a person who knows a great many facts; people often say 'ein wandelndes Lexikon' (a walking encyclopedia). This sounds more colloquial or complimentary, sometimes also slightly joking. For a factual description, 'Experte' is a better fit; for very broad factual knowledge, the image 'Lexikon' fits.
Unser Chef ist ein wandelndes Lexikon, wenn es um alte Kunden und Verträge geht.
Our boss is a walking encyclopedia when it comes to old customers and contracts.
Im Restaurant erklärt der Experte dem Team, welche Weine zu den Gerichten passen.
In the restaurant, the expert explains to the team which wines go with the dishes.