辞典

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 辞典 is read as じてん and is a noun for a reference work organized for looking up words, characters, meanings, and usage.
• Basic usage: Looking up an unfamiliar word in a dictionary appears in 辞典で調べる, while referring to an old kanji dictionary appears in 古い漢字辞典.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Difference from 事典
  • 辞典 supports word lookup rather than explaining topics as an encyclopedia does.