Creating a "define" utility by using the Web backend

There are a lot of dictionaries on the Web that offer APIs that can be used to get a machine-readable definition of words. Let us use one of the APIs and see how to write a define script.

Getting ready

We are going to use curl, sed, and grep to write the define utility. There are a lot of dictionary websites, where you can register and use their APIs for personal use for free. In this example, we are using Merriam-Webster's dictionary API. Please perform the following steps:

1. Go to http://www.dictionaryapi.com/register/index.htm, and register an account for yourself. Select Collegiate Dictionary and Learner's Dictionary:

   

2. Log in using the newly created account and go to My Keys to access the keys. Note down the key for the learner's dictionary:

   

How to do it...

Let's go through the code for the define utility script:

#!/bin/bash
#Filename: define.sh
#Desc: A script to fetch definitions from dictionaryapi.com

apikey=YOUR_API_KEY_HERE

if  [ $# ...