encyclopedia
Loading your saved state.
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.
walking encyclopedia
A person who has very extensive knowledge in a particular field. Often used in the expression 'ein wandelndes Lexikon' (a walking encyclopedia).
Frag meinen Onkel zu Geschichte, er ist ein wandelndes Lexikon.
Ask my uncle about history; he is a walking encyclopedia.
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
For a person with an exceptionally large amount of knowledge, “Experte” and “Lexikon” are only partly interchangeable. “Experte” is the neutral standard term for a knowledgeable person, while “Lexikon” is usually figurative and used especially in the fixed expression “wandelndes Lexikon” (walking encyclopedia). Use “Experte” neutrally and “Lexikon” as an emphatic comparison.
Für die Fragen zur Stadtgeschichte ist Frau Keller ein wandelndes Lexikon.
Ms. Keller is a walking encyclopedia when it comes to questions about the city’s history.
Für die Fragen zur Stadtgeschichte ist Frau Keller die richtige Expertin.
Ms. Keller is the right expert for questions about the city’s history.
