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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.

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

Danielle Haim in particular is a walking encyclopedia of fashion references and leads many of the band’s creative decisions, Ms. Grice noted.

From New York Times • Mar. 26, 2022

“She is a brilliant lawyer, a thorough and fair referee and a walking encyclopedia of Senate precedent and procedure,” McConnell spokesman David Popp said Tuesday.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 23, 2021

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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