Examples are the Dictionary of National Biography , the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships , and Black 's Law Dictionary . Some works entitled `` dictionaries '' are actually similar to encyclopaedias , especially those concerned with a particular field ( such as the Dictionary of the Middle Ages , the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships , and Black 's Law Dictionary ) . The Macquarie Dictionary , Australia 's national dictionary , became an encyclopedic dictionary after its first edition in recognition of the use of proper nouns in common communication , and the words derived from such proper nouns .