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Synonyms

walking encyclopedia

Idioms  
  1. A very knowledgeable person, as in Ask Rob—he's a walking encyclopedia of military history. A similar expression, a walking dictionary, was used by George Chapman in his poem “Tears of Peace” (c. 1600).


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Other economists describe him as a walking encyclopedia and the Pelé of central banking, referring to the Brazilian soccer legend.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 13, 2026

She is a walking encyclopedia of great performances and buried, esoteric moments in both media.

From Los Angeles Times May 8, 2025

“Cameron is someone who is just a walking encyclopedia when it comes to music,” Kitt said.

From Seattle Times Dec. 2, 2022

“I am a walking encyclopedia of worthless Manhattan trivia,” he informs Terry, adding, “People either love it or hate it,” as if the ability to spout factoids were a highly contentious trait.

From New York Times Jun. 8, 2022

They’re a walking encyclopedia when it comes to pop culture, quoting the lines from their favorite movies verbatim or reciting every lyric from the latest rap CD.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers

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