lexicomane

English

Etymology

From lexico- +‎ -mane.

Noun

lexicomane (plural lexicomanes)

1. A lover of dictionaries.
   • 1980, The Incorporated Linguist: The Journal of the Institute of Linguists, page 65:

     The bilingual on this pattern and with these intentions will be enormous. The project is far too great for one person, even a lexicomane.

   • 1984, Quinquereme, page 233:

     The lexicomane will remain similarly frustrated when he comes to pursue such glosses as those of denationalization, Adabei, and Wulst in the sense of 'bead'.

   • 2002 February 12, silt, “changelist for a variant I was thinking of producing...”, in rec.games.roguelike.angband (Usenet):

     Ovipositor, charming word. My current favorite is callomania: "the delusion that one is beautiful". Gotta love Mongrel English in All Her Glory. I'm a bibliophile, bibliotaph, and a lexicomane. <G>

   • [2003 July 23, Serenleono, “For all you Lexiophiles <snicker>”, in alt.wisdom (Usenet):

     > For all you lexiophiles (lovers of words) / Hmm. I think logophiles is the preferred word, though some might prefer something even flashier, like logomaniac or verbomaniac (one obsessed with words), verbivore (one who 'devours' words), lexiphanic (one who likes to show off with words), wordmonger, or lexicomane (dictionary-lover).]

   • 2014, James L. Reynolds, “Preface”, in ElderSpeak: A Thesaurus or Compendium of Words Related to Old Age, iUniverse, →ISBN, page XII:

     This lexicon should appeal to lexicographers—defined by Samuel Johnson as "harmless drudges"—lexicomanes, hyperlexics, lexies and wordies in general.

   • 2016, Pragya Bang, Not-so-IIM!: The Untold Story of after and beyond Graduation, Notion Press, →ISBN:

     “Aarav and Rashika, I am sure you don’t know what hoi polloi is. Even I don’t. Let us keep Google handy whenever Khushboo is in conversation. We have a lexicomane in the group!” said Raghav teasingly. / “Now, what is a lexicomane?” exclaimed Rashika slapping both her hands on the center table. / Khushboo promptly said, / “Lexicon means a dictionary. So assuming that he is calling me a dictionary freak, I must say that is a wrong adjective. You could call me a logophile. Haha!”

French

Etymology

From Ancient Greek λέξῐς (léxis, “word”) +‎ -mane.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lɛk.si.kɔ.man/

Noun

lexicomane m or f by sense (plural lexicomanes)

1. a lover of words

Adjective

lexicomane (plural lexicomanes)

1. word-loving

Further reading

• “lexicomane”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.