The Reverse Dictionary

We all know about dictionary.com but what if you know the meaning of a word and can't recall the actual word? What then?

Reverse dictionary may be the answer. I think it's something every writer shouldn't be without.

OneLook's reverse dictionary lets you describe a concept and get back a list of words and phrases related to that concept. Your description can be a few words, a sentence, a question, or even just a single word.

It's not perfect but it's a good first step towards finding that word. Of course the tried and true method of going through thesaurus listings is always helpful.