SnapDic for Mac — just hover, in every app
Rest your mouse on any English word — in Safari, Chrome, Mail, Notes, Pages, PDFs, even text in images — and its meaning appears right above it. No copying, no new windows.
Mac app version 1.0.1 · macOS 14 or later · Apple Silicon and Intel. Also free on the Chrome Web Store.
Download SnapDic for Mac
Want no ads and saved words? SnapDic Plus is US$19.99 once, for life.
SnapDic checks snapdic.com once a day for a newer version and tells you when one is ready. You can also choose Check for Updates… from its menu.
Watch SnapDic at work
Thirty seconds of real lookups: a word, a word form, an idiom and the SnapDic panel.
The video plays from YouTube. Watch on YouTube
Everything the Chrome extension does — everywhere on your Mac
SnapDic for Mac uses exactly the same dictionary engine as the SnapDic Chrome extension, so a word means the same thing wherever you meet it.
Hover a word
ubiquitous
SAT · IELTS word · adjective · ≈C1
seeming to be everywhere at the same time
e.g. Smartphones are now ubiquitous.
via SnapDic exam vocabulary
Word forms explained
notarized
past tense of notarize · ≈C2
authenticate as a notary
e.g. We had to have the signature notarized.
via Open English WordNet
Highlight a phrase
break the ice
Idiom / phrase · social
To ease tension at the start of a meeting or social situation so people feel comfortable.
e.g. He told a joke to break the ice.
via SnapDic · see also: warm up, get the ball rolling
Legal English
affidavit
Legal term · ≈C1
A written or printed statement made under oath.
via US Courts Glossary
Your apps, not just your browser
SnapDic reads the word under your mouse with macOS Accessibility, the same technology screen readers use. That means it works in almost any app that shows text:
- Browsers — Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Arc
- Mail and messages — Mail, Outlook, Slack, Messages
- Documents — Pages, Word, Notes, TextEdit, Preview and other PDF readers
- Images and scanned PDFs — optional on-device text recognition (OCR) reads words that apps don't share as text
Built for the way you read
- Hover or ⌥ Option + hover — show meanings automatically, or only while you hold Option
- Highlight up to four words for idioms and phrasal verbs
- Skip common words — choose how many easy words SnapDic ignores
- SnapDic panel — a small window listing every word you looked up
- Look Up a Word… — type any word from the menu bar
- Open at Login — always ready, living quietly in the menu bar
Set up in under a minute
SnapDic needs one permission so it can see the word under your mouse. It never records what you read.
1. Download and open
Open SnapDic-macOS.dmg and drag SnapDic into your Applications folder, then open it from there.
2. Allow Accessibility
When asked, open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility and switch SnapDic on. SnapDic tells you when it's ready.
3. Just hover
Rest your mouse on any English word. The SnapDic book icon in the menu bar holds all the settings.
Staying up to date
SnapDic checks snapdic.com for a newer version once a day. When one is out, it shows what's new and a Download button; the menu also offers ⬇︎ Download SnapDic x.y.z… until you update. Nothing is installed without you: download the new version and drag it into Applications to replace the old one. Your settings, saved words and SnapDic Plus licence are kept.
The update check sends only a normal web request for a small file listing the latest version number. No word you looked up and no personal information is included.
What's new in 1.0.1
- Dark Mode fix: the SnapDic panel's text, search box and buttons are now readable when your Mac uses Dark Mode (they could appear blank in 1.0.0).
- New menu-bar icon: the SnapDic book-and-speech-bubble logo, tinted to match your menu bar. It dims when Hover is switched off.
- Sharper app icon in the Dock and Finder.
Read English on your Mac — one hover at a time
Free download. No account needed.
Frequently asked questions
Is SnapDic for Mac free?
Yes. SnapDic is free to download and use. The free version shows a small sponsored banner in the SnapDic panel. The optional SnapDic Plus upgrade (US$19.99 once, for life) removes the banner and saves every word you look up by day so you can review them later.
Which Macs does it run on?
Any Mac with macOS 14 Sonoma or later, with Apple Silicon (M1 and newer) or an Intel processor. The download is one universal app for both.
Why does SnapDic need Accessibility permission?
macOS only lets an app read the word under your mouse pointer if you allow it in Privacy & Security → Accessibility. SnapDic uses it for that alone; it doesn't store or send what you read. The only thing that ever leaves your Mac is a single word sent to an online dictionary when that word isn't in SnapDic's built-in data.
Does it work offline?
Mostly, yes. About 127,000 English words, SnapDic's own learner definitions, 1,020 idioms and phrasal verbs, SAT and IELTS vocabulary, and legal and tech terms are built in. Rare words and names are looked up online (Wiktionary, Wikipedia, Wikidata or the Free Dictionary API) when you're connected.
How do I update SnapDic?
SnapDic tells you when a new version is out and opens the download for you. You can also choose Check for Updates… from the SnapDic menu-bar icon at any time. Drag the new version into Applications to replace the old one.
Is it the same as the Chrome extension?
Both use the same dictionary engine and data, so you get the same answers. The Mac app works in every app, not only in the browser. Also free on the Chrome Web Store.
How do I uninstall it?
Quit SnapDic from its menu-bar icon, then drag SnapDic from Applications to the Trash. You can also remove it from System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility.