# Cambridge Dictionary API

> Cambridge Dictionary returns word definitions, translations, examples, and pronunciations as a workflow and API.

Define word takes a word or phrase and returns meanings, examples, grammar labels, and available UK and US pronunciations. Translate word takes a word and target language, with an optional source language, returning meanings, translations, and available paired examples.

- Page: https://fous.com/tools/cambridge-dictionary
- Handle: `@cambridge-dictionary`
- Category: [Education](https://fous.com/tools/category/education)
- Source website: https://dictionary.cambridge.org
- Last verified: Sep 29, 2026

## Methods

### Define word

Operation `define_word`, version 1. 1 credit per completed call. Failed calls without a completed billing receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted.

Get ordered meanings, examples, grammar labels, and available UK and US pronunciations for a word or phrase. Details not shown on Cambridge Dictionary are returned as null.

**Input**

| Field | Type | Required | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `word` | string | yes | `"take over"` | Word or phrase to define, for example "take over". |
| `dictionary` | string | no | `"british"` | Choose British or American dictionary entries, for example "american". |

**Input schema**

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "word"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "word": {
      "type": "string",
      "minLength": 1,
      "description": "Word or phrase to define, for example \"take over\".",
      "examples": [
        "take over",
        "resilient",
        "plant"
      ]
    },
    "dictionary": {
      "enum": [
        "british",
        "american"
      ],
      "type": "string",
      "default": "british",
      "description": "Choose British or American dictionary entries, for example \"american\".",
      "examples": [
        "british",
        "american"
      ]
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "examples": [
    {
      "word": "take over",
      "dictionary": "british"
    },
    {
      "word": "resilient"
    },
    {
      "word": "plant",
      "dictionary": "american"
    }
  ]
}
```

**Output**

| Field | Type | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `headword` | string | `"take (something) over"` |  |
| `meanings` | array |  |  |
| `meanings[].examples` | array |  |  |
| `meanings[].definition` | string | `"to start doing a job or being responsible for something that another person did or had responsibility for before:"` |  |
| `meanings[].guide_word` | string or null | `"START DOING"` |  |
| `meanings[].english_level` | string or null | `"B2"` |  |
| `meanings[].grammar_labels` | array |  |  |
| `meanings[].part_of_speech` | string or null | `"phrasal verb"` |  |
| `page_link` | string | `"https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/take-over"` |  |
| `uk_pronunciation` | object |  |  |
| `uk_pronunciation.ipa` | string or null | `"teɪk"` | Phonetic spelling in IPA, if shown. |
| `uk_pronunciation.audio_link` | string or null | `"https://dictionary.cambridge.org/media/english/uk_pron/u/ukt/uktaj/uktajik002.mp3"` | Link to the MP3 pronunciation, if shown. |
| `us_pronunciation` | object |  |  |
| `us_pronunciation.ipa` | string or null | `"teɪk"` | Phonetic spelling in IPA, if shown. |
| `us_pronunciation.audio_link` | string or null | `"https://dictionary.cambridge.org/media/english/us_pron/t/tak/take_/take.mp3"` | Link to the MP3 pronunciation, if shown. |

**Example input**

```json
{
  "word": "take over",
  "dictionary": "british"
}
```

**Example output**

```json
{
  "headword": "take (something) over",
  "meanings": [
    {
      "examples": [
        "He took over from the previous headmaster in February.",
        "She took over as manager two weeks ago.",
        "Jason Lamb has taken over responsibility for this project."
      ],
      "definition": "to start doing a job or being responsible for something that another person did or had responsibility for before:",
      "guide_word": "START DOING",
      "english_level": "B2",
      "grammar_labels": [],
      "part_of_speech": "phrasal verb"
    },
    {
      "examples": [
        "The company he works for has recently been taken over."
      ],
      "definition": "to get control of a company by buying enough of the shares in it:",
      "guide_word": "GET CONTROL",
      "english_level": null,
      "grammar_labels": [],
      "part_of_speech": "phrasal verb"
    },
    {
      "examples": [
        "It's only a matter of time before they take over completely."
      ],
      "definition": "to become more successful or powerful than something or someone else that is involved in the same type of activity:",
      "guide_word": "BECOME MORE POWERFUL",
      "english_level": "C2",
      "grammar_labels": [],
      "part_of_speech": "phrasal verb"
    }
  ],
  "page_link": "https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/take-over",
  "uk_pronunciation": {
    "ipa": "teɪk",
    "audio_link": "https://dictionary.cambridge.org/media/english/uk_pron/u/ukt/uktaj/uktajik002.mp3"
  },
  "us_pronunciation": {
    "ipa": "teɪk",
    "audio_link": "https://dictionary.cambridge.org/media/english/us_pron/t/tak/take_/take.mp3"
  }
}
```

### Translate word

Operation `translate_word`, version 1. 1 credit per completed call. Failed calls without a completed billing receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted.

Translate a word between English and a Cambridge-supported language, with meanings, translations and available paired examples. Some examples have no translation on the source page.

**Input**

| Field | Type | Required | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `word` | string | yes | `"casa"` | Word to translate, for example house. |
| `to_language` | string | yes | `"English"` | Target language name, for example Spanish. |
| `from_language` | string | no | `"Spanish"` | Source language name, for example French. Defaults to English. |

**Input schema**

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "word",
    "to_language"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "word": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Word to translate, for example house.",
      "examples": [
        "casa",
        "house"
      ]
    },
    "to_language": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Target language name, for example Spanish.",
      "examples": [
        "English",
        "Spanish",
        "Arabic"
      ]
    },
    "from_language": {
      "type": "string",
      "default": "English",
      "description": "Source language name, for example French. Defaults to English.",
      "examples": [
        "Spanish"
      ]
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "examples": [
    {
      "word": "casa",
      "to_language": "English",
      "from_language": "Spanish"
    },
    {
      "word": "house",
      "to_language": "Spanish"
    },
    {
      "word": "house",
      "to_language": "Arabic"
    }
  ]
}
```

**Output**

| Field | Type | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `word` | string | `"casa"` | The word searched. |
| `meanings` | array |  |  |
| `meanings[].examples` | array |  |  |
| `meanings[].translations` | array |  |  |
| `meanings[].english_guide` | string or null | `"house"` |  |
| `meanings[].part_of_speech` | string or null | `"noun"` |  |
| `page_link` | string | `"https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/spanish-english/casa"` |  |
| `to_language` | string | `"English"` |  |
| `from_language` | string | `"Spanish"` |  |
| `language_pair` | string | `"Spanish–English"` |  |

**Example input**

```json
{
  "word": "casa",
  "to_language": "English",
  "from_language": "Spanish"
}
```

**Example output**

```json
{
  "word": "casa",
  "meanings": [
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "original": "casa de familia",
          "translated": "family home"
        }
      ],
      "translations": [
        "house",
        "home"
      ],
      "english_guide": "house",
      "part_of_speech": "noun"
    },
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "original": "Entró como Pedro por su casa.",
          "translated": "He walked in like he owned the place."
        }
      ],
      "translations": [
        "like one owned the place"
      ],
      "english_guide": "like one owned the place",
      "part_of_speech": "noun"
    },
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "original": "En su cumpleaños tiró la casa por la ventana .",
          "translated": "He splashed out on his birthday."
        }
      ],
      "translations": [
        "to splash out"
      ],
      "english_guide": "to splash out",
      "part_of_speech": "noun"
    }
  ],
  "page_link": "https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/spanish-english/casa",
  "to_language": "English",
  "from_language": "Spanish",
  "language_pair": "Spanish–English"
}
```

## Quick start

Replace `YOUR_API_KEY` with a Fous API key. To create one, open Developers at the bottom of Fous Studio, turn on Developer mode, then go to API keys (https://app.fous.com/keys). Change the values in `input` to run the same tool on new data.

```bash
curl 'https://api.fous.com/v1/query' \
  --fail-with-body --silent --show-error --max-time 180 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data-raw '{
  "api": "@cambridge-dictionary",
  "visibility": "public",
  "operation": "define_word",
  "version": 1,
  "input": {
    "word": "take over",
    "dictionary": "british"
  },
  "response": {
    "format": "json"
  }
}'
```

```python
# Save as fous.py and run with python3 fous.py. No packages needed.
import json
import urllib.error
import urllib.request

api_key = "YOUR_API_KEY"

body = json.loads("{\n  \"api\": \"@cambridge-dictionary\",\n  \"visibility\": \"public\",\n  \"operation\": \"define_word\",\n  \"version\": 1,\n  \"input\": {\n    \"word\": \"take over\",\n    \"dictionary\": \"british\"\n  },\n  \"response\": {\n    \"format\": \"json\"\n  }\n}")
request = urllib.request.Request(
    "https://api.fous.com/v1/query",
    data=json.dumps(body).encode("utf-8"),
    headers={
        "Authorization": f"Bearer {api_key}",
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
    method="POST",
)
try:
    with urllib.request.urlopen(request, timeout=180) as response:
        result = json.load(response)
except urllib.error.HTTPError as error:
    raise RuntimeError(f"HTTP {error.code}: {error.read().decode('utf-8', errors='replace')}") from error
if result.get("success") is False:
    raise RuntimeError(result.get("error", {}).get("message", "Request failed"))
print(json.dumps(result["data"]["output"], indent=2))
```

```typescript
// Save as fous.mts and run with npx tsx fous.mts.
const apiKey = "YOUR_API_KEY";

const response = await fetch("https://api.fous.com/v1/query", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Authorization": `Bearer ${apiKey}`,
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  signal: AbortSignal.timeout(180_000),
  body: JSON.stringify({
  "api": "@cambridge-dictionary",
  "visibility": "public",
  "operation": "define_word",
  "version": 1,
  "input": {
    "word": "take over",
    "dictionary": "british"
  },
  "response": {
    "format": "json"
  }
}),
});
type ApiResult = { success: boolean; data?: { output: unknown }; error?: { message: string } };
const result: ApiResult = await response.json();
if (!response.ok || result.success === false) {
  throw new Error(result.error?.message ?? `HTTP ${response.status}`);
}
if (!result.data) throw new Error("Missing API response data");
console.log(result.data.output);
```

## Use from an AI assistant

Connect this tool to Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and any MCP client as its own MCP server. Each method is a typed tool whose arguments are the method’s input.

- Server URL: `https://api.fous.com/mcp/tools/cambridge-dictionary`
- Authorization: `Authorization: Bearer <Fous API key>`

**Tools**

- `define_word`: Define word. 1 credit per completed call. Failed calls without a completed billing receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted.
- `translate_word`: Translate word. 1 credit per completed call. Failed calls without a completed billing receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted.
- `fous_get_run`: the result of a run that was still going, by its `request_id`. Free.

Claude Code:

```bash
claude mcp add --scope user --transport http fous-cambridge-dictionary https://api.fous.com/mcp/tools/cambridge-dictionary --header "Authorization: Bearer ${FOUS_API_KEY:?Set FOUS_API_KEY to your Fous API key}"
```

To give the assistant every tool, connect `https://api.fous.com/mcp`: it finds one with `fous_search_tools` and runs it with `fous_run_tool`. Setup for other clients: https://fous.com/llms-full.txt.

## Use cases

- Compare British and American word meanings
- Find example sentences for vocabulary lessons
- Check grammar labels and parts of speech
- Review UK and US pronunciation guides
- Translate vocabulary between English and supported languages

## FAQ

### Can I run it with my own inputs?

Yes. Change the inputs in Studio and press Run, or send new inputs from your code, or ask a connected AI assistant.

### Can I call this Cambridge Dictionary tool as an API?

Yes. Send a POST request to /v1/query with your Fous API key and the inputs, and get JSON back.

### How much does it cost?

Each completed run costs 1 credit. Failed runs without a completed receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted. With pay as you go, a credit costs 1¢. Monthly plans cost less per credit.

### Do I need a Cambridge Dictionary account?

No. You only need a Fous account.

### How current is the data?

Fous gets the data from dictionary.cambridge.org when you run it. Some results are reused for up to 24 hours, and results that use your account or key are never reused. It was last verified on Sep 29, 2026.

### What does a word or phrase mean?

Define word returns ordered meanings, definitions, examples, and grammar labels for the supplied word or phrase.

### How is a word pronounced in the UK or US?

Define word returns available UK and US pronunciations, including phonetic spelling and audio links when shown.

### How do I translate a word into another language?

Translate word returns meanings, translations, and available paired examples for the supplied word and target language.

## Related

- [Dictionary.com API](https://fous.com/tools/dictionary-com.md): Dictionary.com provides definitions, pronunciations, audio, examples, and word origins, plus ranked synonyms and antonyms for public Thesaurus.com entries; some word details may be unavailable.
- [Merriam-Webster API](https://fous.com/tools/merriam-webster.md): Merriam-Webster provides definitions, pronunciations, examples, word histories, synonyms, antonyms, and related words for publicly listed entries, plus Word of the Day entries for today or published archive dates.
- [Wiktionary API](https://fous.com/tools/wiktionary.md): A free, multilingual dictionary with word meanings and language information.
- [WordReference API](https://fous.com/tools/wordreference.md): Dictionary translations and language reference.
- [Urban Dictionary API](https://fous.com/tools/urban-dictionary.md): Urban Dictionary provides crowdsourced slang definitions and examples, plus up to 30 newest Words of the Day with featured dates.
- [Etymonline API](https://fous.com/tools/etymonline.md): Origins and histories of English words from the Online Etymology Dictionary.
- [Investopedia API](https://fous.com/tools/investopedia.md): Financial education, investing explanations, and a finance dictionary.
- [Google Translate API](https://fous.com/tools/google-translate.md): Translate text between languages, with pronunciation and dictionary alternatives when available.
- [All Education tools](https://fous.com/tools/category/education)