dict-1.9.15-alt5 "man dict" says: -r or --raw Be very verbose: show the raw client/server interaction. , but it has no effect: $ dict -s suffix brigens -r -m deu-eng: u:brigens $ dict -s suffix brigens -r No definitions found for "u:brigens" $ -- no verbose information, cf. how it used to be on previous versions of dict (https://bugzilla.altlinux.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1709 ): $ dict -s suffix brigens -r * Send/2: client \"dict 1.8.0/rf on Linux 2.4.20-alt0.1-adv-up\" match * suffix \"brigens\" * Read: 220 arrakis.zephyrous dictd 1.8.0/rf on Linux 2.4.20-alt0.1-adv-up <auth .mime> <<a href="mailto:50.10966.1039706374@arrakis.zephyrous>" target="_new">50.10966.1039706374@arrakis.zephyrous></a>; * Status = 220 * Processed 2 * Read: 250 ok * Status = 250 * Processed 3 * Processed 4 * Read: 152 1 matches found * Status = 152 * Text: deu-eng \"ц╪brigens\" * Text: . * Read: 250 ok [d/m/c = 0/1/1055598; 1.000r 0.000u 0.000s] * Status = 250 * Processed 10 * Send/13 * Processed 13 * Send/14: define deu-eng \"?brigens\" quit * Read: 552 no match [d/m/c = 0/0/16; 0.000r 0.000u 0.000s] * Status = 552 * Processed 11 No definitions found for \"?brigens\" * Processed 1 * Read: 221 bye [d/m/c = 0/0/0; 1.000r 0.000u 0.000s] * Status = 221 * Processed 14 -- it used to be verbose!