Google makes it easier to discover the meaning of... everything

Google Chrome
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Chrome for Android has a new feature that allows you to look up the definitions of words with a single touch.

Browsing the internet mean encountering not only a wealth of information, but also a huge number of words, and you might not necessarily know what all of them mean. You could, of course, reach for a dictionary – but maybe there is a better option.

Google certainly thinks so, and to make life easier when it comes to understanding unfamiliar language there is a new option for anyone using Chrome on Android.

When you stumble across a word you don't know the meaning of, you may well highlight it, copy it and paste it into a Google search to find out the definition. But Google wants to make things a bit easier for you – at least if you have an Android phone.

While in the past it has been possible to highlight a word, long-tap and use this to perform a web search, Google is now making it possible to tap to look up not only the meaning of a word, but also its pronunciation.

The meaning of life

Chrome for Android already offers a 'Touch to search' option, but this new feature goes further. When a word is highlighted in Chrome with a long press, Chrome will now show a definition in a pop-up at the bottom of the screen, as well as a pronunciation guide.

The change seems to be rolling out to anyone who is using the latest version of Chrome, but you may need to tweak a setting sot enable the feature if you don't see it. Just head to chrome://flags/#contextual-search-definitions and set the option to 'Enable'

Via Android Police

TOPICS
Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson
Freelance writer

Sofia is a tech journalist who's been writing about software, hardware and the web for nearly 25 years – but still looks as youthful as ever! After years writing for magazines, her life moved online and remains fueled by technology, music and nature.

Having written for websites and magazines since 2000, producing a wide range of reviews, guides, tutorials, brochures, newsletters and more, she continues to write for diverse audiences, from computing newbies to advanced users and business clients. Always willing to try something new, she loves sharing new discoveries with others.

Sofia lives and breathes Windows, Android, iOS, macOS and just about anything with a power button, but her particular areas of interest include security, tweaking and privacy. Her other loves include walking, music, her two Malamutes and, of course, her wife and daughter.

You can find her on Twitter and Mastodon.

Latest in Phones
An image of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra from a hands-on event
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra could resurrect an intriguing camera feature
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max REVIEW
The latest iPhone 17 Pro Max leak may have given us another look at its upcoming redesign
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 could be in line for a Galaxy S25 Ultra-level camera upgrade
Three iPhones on a green and blue background showing trails on Apple Maps
iOS 18.4 will give your iPhone a much-needed maps upgrade – but only if you're in the EU
Google Pixel 9
Android 16 could bring an improved Samsung DeX-style desktop mode to more phones
Apple products all showing different versions of the Apple Photos app
Apple Photos could actually win you over in iOS 18.4 – here are 4 improvements that are coming
Latest in News
Google Gemini Flash 2.0 Images
I tried Gemini's new AI image generation tool - here are 5 ways to get the best art from Google's Flash 2.0
An image of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra from a hands-on event
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra could resurrect an intriguing camera feature
Eurocom Raptor X18
At $15,000, this massive 256GB RAM laptop makes Apple's MacBook Pro look affordable, tiny and very, very slow
Cristin Milioti in Black Mirror season 7
Netflix launches trailer for Black Mirror season 7, giving us a look at its first-ever sequel episode and an unexpected returning character
A graphic of the PC Gaming Show
Get ready for a bounty of PC games on June 8, as the PC Gaming show is back
A close up of The Daily podcast from Pocket Casts' web page
‘Podcasting shouldn’t be locked behind walled gardens’: Pocket Casts slams Spotify and makes its web player free to all