diff --git a/defs.inc b/defs.inc
index 586023f..f65259f 100644
--- a/defs.inc
+++ b/defs.inc
@@ -12,3 +12,12 @@ _code_buffer:
 	.base dq 1
 	.here dq 1
 	.entry dd 1
+
+_dictionary:
+	.prev_word_offset = 8
+	.entry_code_offset = 16
+	.word_offset = 24
+	.length = 4096
+	.base dq 1
+	.here dq 1
+	.latest dq 1
diff --git a/dictionary.inc b/dictionary.inc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c72e975
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dictionary.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+;
+; entry:
+;
+; 08	- 1 byte flags
+;	- 1 byte word len
+;	- 6 bytes reserved
+; 08	- prev addr
+; 08	- code addr
+; ??	- word chars (padded to dq)
+; ??	- stack effects
+;
+
+DE_HIDDEN	= 1
+DE_IMMEDIATE	= 2
+
+_core_words:
+	.b_comma:
+	db	DE_IMMEDIATE
+	db	2
+	dw	0
+	dd	0
+	dq	0
+	dq	_core_code.b_comma
+	dq	'b,'
+	dq	0 ; TODO: stack effects (( b al -- | rdi ))
+	
+	.latest:
+	.d_comma:
+	db	DE_IMMEDIATE
+	db	2
+	dw	0
+	dd	0
+	dq	.b_comma
+	dq	_core_code.d_comma
+	dq	'd,'
+	dq	0 ; TODO: stack effects (( d ax -- | rdi ))
+
+dictionary_init:
+	mov	esi, _dictionary.length
+	mov	edx, PROT_RW
+	call	mmap_buffer
+
+	mov	rdi, _dictionary.base
+	stosq
+	stosq
+	
+	mov	[_dictionary.latest], _core_words.latest
+
+	ret
+
+dictionary_deinit:
+	mov	esi, _dictionary.length
+	mov	rdi, [_dictionary.base]
+	mov	eax, SYS_MUNMAP
+	syscall
+	
+	ret
+
+;
+; expects
+;	- properly configured blue structure with non zero word len
+;
+dictionary_find:
+	mov	rdi, [_dictionary.latest]
+
+	.find:
+	push	rdi
+
+	test	byte [edi], DE_HIDDEN
+	jnz	.next
+
+	inc	edi
+	mov	rsi, _blue.word_len
+	mov	ecx, [esi]
+	
+	lodsb
+	cmp	al, byte [edi]
+	jne	.next
+
+	add	edi, _dictionary.word_offset - 1
+	
+	.check_word:
+	lodsb
+	cmp	al, byte [edi]
+	jne	.next
+
+	inc	edi
+	dec	ecx
+	js	.check_word
+
+	pop	rax
+	jmp	.done
+	
+	.next:
+	pop	rdi
+	add	edi, _dictionary.prev_word_offset
+	mov	rdi, [rdi]
+
+	test	rdi, rdi
+	jnz	.find
+
+	xor	eax, eax
+	
+	.done:
+	ret
diff --git a/dictionary_test.asm b/dictionary_test.asm
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4d98e74
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dictionary_test.asm
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+format elf64 executable 3
+
+macro tc1 tib, tib_len, expected {
+	mov	[_blue.tib], tib
+	mov	[_blue.tib_len], tib_len
+	mov	[_blue.tib_in], 0
+
+	call	parser_next_word
+	call	dictionary_find
+
+	inc	[test_num]
+	cmp	rax, expected
+	jne	failure
+}
+
+segment readable writeable
+
+include "defs.inc"
+
+test_num db 1
+
+segment readable executable
+
+include "linux.inc"
+include "code_buffer.inc"
+include "dictionary.inc"
+include "parser.inc"
+
+entry $
+	mov	[test_num], 0
+
+	call dictionary_init
+	
+	inc	[test_num]
+	mov	rax, [_dictionary.base]
+	cmp	rax, [_dictionary.here]
+	jne	failure
+	
+	inc	[test_num]
+	mov	rax, [_dictionary.latest]
+	cmp	rax, _core_words.latest
+	jne	failure
+
+	tc1	unknown, 4, 0
+	tc1	d_comma, 2, _core_words.d_comma
+	tc1	b_comma, 2, _core_words.b_comma
+	
+	call	dictionary_deinit
+
+	xor	edi, edi
+	
+exit:
+	mov	eax, 60
+	syscall
+
+failure:
+	mov	dil, [test_num]
+	jmp	exit
+
+segment readable
+
+unknown		db '!@#$'
+b_comma		db 'b,'
+d_comma		db 'd,'
diff --git a/scratch/dictionary.inc b/scratch/dictionary.inc
deleted file mode 100644
index c212337..0000000
--- a/scratch/dictionary.inc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,49 +0,0 @@
-;
-; entry:
-;
-; 08 - 1 byte flags
-;    - 1 byte word length
-;    - 6 bytes first chars
-; 08 - prev addr
-; 08 - code addr
-; 08 - 1 byte length of remaining word chars
-;    - 7 bytes reserved
-; ?? - remaining word chars
-; ?? - stack effects
-;
-
-DE_VIS = 1
-DE_IMMED = 2
-
-_core_words:
-	.b_comma:
-	db DE_VIS or DE_IMMED, 2, 'b,', 0, 0, 0, 0
-	dq 0
-	dq _core_code.b_comma
-	dq 0
-	dq 0 ; TODO: stack effects (( b al -- | rdi ))
-	
-	.latest:
-	.d_comma:
-	db DE_VIS or DE_IMMED, 2, 'd,', 0, 0, 0, 0
-	dq .b_comma
-	dq _core_code.d_comma
-	dq 0
-	dq 0 ; TODO: stack effects (( d ax -- | rdi ))
-
-dictionary:
-	.entry_code_offset = 16
-
-	.init:
-	mmap_buffer _dictionary.length, PROT_RW
-
-	mov [_dictionary.base], rax
-	mov [_dictionary.here], rax
-	mov [_dictionary.latest], _core_words.latest
-	ret
-
-	.deinit:
-	mov esi, _dictionary.length
-	mov rdi, [_dictionary.base]
-	call mmap.unmap
-	ret
diff --git a/scratch/dictionary_test.inc b/scratch/dictionary_test.inc
deleted file mode 100644
index 500fe5b..0000000
--- a/scratch/dictionary_test.inc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-
-dictionary_test:
-	call dictionary.init
-
-	; test dictionary init's properly
-	
-	mov edi, 1
-	mov rax, [_dictionary.base]
-	cmp rax, [_dictionary.here]
-	jne .fail
-	
-	mov edi, 2
-	mov rax, [_dictionary.latest]
-	cmp rax, _core_words.latest
-	jne .fail
-	
-	call dictionary.deinit
-	ret
-
-	.fail:
-	mov eax, 60
-	syscall
-	ret
diff --git a/test.mk b/test.mk
index c0abcc3..eb44e46 100644
--- a/test.mk
+++ b/test.mk
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 TESTS := \
 	code_buffer_test \
 	parser_test \
+	dictionary_test \
 	elf_test \
 	elf_test_hello_world