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Dream dictionary · 300 symbols · 17 October 2026

Dream dictionary: what your dream means

Dream meanings by letter and by theme. Every symbol is read three ways: how folk dream books read it, what psychology says and what sleep research shows.

Often searchedSnakeTeeth falling outSpiderBeing pregnantCatDogBearTornado
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Dream dictionary A–Z
Key facts
  • A dream dictionary is a glossary of dream symbols: each image is given its traditional reading.
  • The Mind University dream dictionary has 300 symbols in 12 themes, listed alphabetically.
  • Every symbol is read three ways: folk dream books, psychology (Freud, Jung) and sleep research.
  • Vivid dreams happen mostly in REM sleep, which is longest toward morning.
  • Dream interpretation is a tradition of reading symbols; it does not predict events.

Most searched dreams

All symbols A–Z →
SnakeAnimalsA dream about snakes is traditionally read as a warning: hidden danger, a false friend or temptation close by. Psychology reads the snake as something in yourself you have not looked at yet, and research simply finds it among the most common animals people dream of.Teeth falling outBodyA dream about teeth falling out is traditionally read as a sign of loss, ageing or worry about how others see you. Sleep research points somewhere more ordinary: tension in the teeth and jaw while you sleep, and the anxiety of the day.SpiderAnimalsA dream about spiders is traditionally read as patient work, a web being spun around you, or a trap. Psychology sees the spider as a small fear made large, often tied to a controlling figure, and research finds it among the animals people most often dream about with fear.Being pregnantBodyA dream about being pregnant is traditionally read as something growing: a plan, a project or a change that is not yet visible. Psychology reads it the same way, as a new part of yourself taking shape, and research finds pregnancy dreams most common in people who are pregnant or thinking about it.CatAnimalsA dream about cats is traditionally read as a false friend, deceit or, when the cat is calm, independence and comfort. Psychology reads the cat as the feminine, the self-sufficient side of a person, and research finds cats among the most common animals in dreams, especially for people who live with one.DogAnimalsA dream about dogs is traditionally read through the dog’s mood: a friendly dog means loyalty and a good friend, a vicious dog means an enemy or a quarrel. Psychology reads the dog as loyalty, instinct and the need for protection, and research finds dogs among the most common animals in dreams.BearAnimalsA dream about a bear is traditionally read as a powerful rival or an overwhelming force, and killing the bear as escape from an entanglement. Psychology reads the bear as raw strength and, in Jungian terms, the mother in her fierce form; research lists the bear among the large animals that appear in threat dreams.TornadoWater and weatherA dream about a tornado is traditionally read as sudden upheaval: plans overturned, a household in turmoil. Psychology reads the tornado as emotion that has become too strong to contain, and research finds storm dreams rising in anxious periods and after real severe weather.DeathDeath and lossA dream about death is traditionally read as the end of one thing and the start of another, and folk books often turn it round: death in a dream means long life. Psychology reads it as change, an ending in the dreamer’s life, and research finds death dreams common in grief and in times of transition.Ex-partnerLove and relationshipsA dream about an ex is traditionally read as unfinished business or news of that person. Psychology reads the ex as what that relationship gave or took, a quality you miss or a lesson not yet learned, and research finds ex-partner dreams among the most common relationship dreams, especially after a recent break-up.RatAnimalsA dream about rats is traditionally read as deceit, theft or a false friend gnawing at your affairs. Psychology reads the rat as disgust, guilt or a worry that eats at you unseen, and research finds rats and mice among the small animals that carry anxiety into dreams.Old houseHome and placesA dream about an old house is traditionally read as the past returning: old habits, old family matters, or health and business in decline when the house is falling apart. Psychology reads the house as the self and an old house as an earlier version of you, and research finds childhood homes among the most common dream settings.

Dream themes

If you cannot find the exact word, start from a theme. Inside each theme the symbols are grouped and compared with one another.

Animals83 symbolsSnake, dog, cat, spider, fishPeople24 symbolsEx-partner, mother, child, strangerBody21 symbolsTeeth, hair, blood, pregnancyWater and weather18 symbolsSea, flood, rain, snowHome and places29 symbolsHouse, school, church, cemeteryDeath and loss8 symbolsDead person, funeral, coffinLove and relationships11 symbolsWedding, kiss, cheatingTravel and transport17 symbolsCar, plane, train, roadFood23 symbolsBread, apples, meat, eggsMoney and objects23 symbolsMoney, gold, ring, keysNature and plants15 symbolsFlowers, tree, mushrooms, forestActions28 symbolsFalling, flying, running, being late

What is a dream dictionary?

A dream dictionary is a book or glossary in which dream images are listed as symbols, each with a meaning attached. The oldest surviving one, the Oneirocritica of Artemidorus, was written in the 2nd century. Printed dream books spread across Europe in the 19th century; Gustavus Hindman Miller’s Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted (1901) is still the most quoted.

In the 20th century psychology joined the tradition. Sigmund Freud read dreams as the expression of repressed wishes, Carl Gustav Jung as the psyche’s attempt to restore balance. Modern sleep research shows that the content of dreams is shaped largely by the day’s impressions and by sensations in the sleeping body.

Three ways to read a dream

ReadingWho says itHow the dream is readBased on
Folk dream booksMiller (1901), regional folk traditionsA symbol has a fixed meaning: water means feelings, teeth loss, a road change.Custom
PsychologyFreud, Jung and their followersThe meaning depends on the dreamer: what this image means to you.Clinical interpretation
Sleep researchSleep laboratories, survey studiesA dream reworks the day’s impressions and bodily sensations; a symbol predicts nothing.Measurements and surveys

Dreams by night of the week

Folk tradition gives the nights of the week different weight. There is no evidence that dreams of a particular night come true.

Monday toTuesdayThe day’s worriesTuesday toWednesdayPlans and ideasWednesday toThursdayWork and the roadThursday toFridayThe prophetic nightFriday toSaturdayPeople close to youSaturday toSundayBright dreamsSunday toMondayA new beginning

When in the night we dream

Vivid, story-like dreams happen mostly in REM sleep. REM periods are short early in the night and longer toward morning, which is why the dream we remember best is usually the last one before waking.

AwakeREMLight 1Light 2Deep23:0001:0003:0005:0007:00Longest dreams
A typical night, simplified. REM sleep is shown in gold. Every night is different.
Dream journal

A dream fades in a few minutes

Write it down as soon as you wake. The journal tags symbols, shows the moon phase of that night and notices which dreams repeat.

Start a journal →Free account. Only you see your entries.
26 SepSnake · House
24 SepWater · Falling
21 SepTeeth
Example. In your journal you will see your own entries.

More about dreams

Practice · 7 daysLucid dreaming: the first weekHow to notice you are dreaming and not wake up.LibraryWhy dreams repeatWhat research shows about recurring dreams.LibraryNightmares: when to worryHow a nightmare differs from a night terror.

Questions people ask

How do I find out what my dream means?

Remember the most vivid image of the dream and look it up in the search or by letter. The symbol page gives three readings and the most common variations of the dream. How you felt in the dream and on waking matters too.

Do dreams come true?

There is no scientific evidence that dreams predict events. Folk tradition ties some nights of the week to “prophetic” dreams; on this site that is described as tradition, not as fact.

What does a dream from Thursday to Friday mean?

In folk tradition the night from Thursday to Friday is the one whose dreams are said to come true. The page for that night explains where the belief comes from and what sleep research says.

Why don’t I remember my dreams?

Most dreams are forgotten within minutes of waking. Waking naturally at the end of a REM period, lying still for a moment and writing the dream down at once are what people who remember dreams tend to do.

Why does the same dream repeat?

Recurring dreams are linked in research to unresolved stress or to a recurring situation in waking life. Writing them down helps to see the pattern.

How does Miller’s dream book differ from Freud?

Miller assigns each symbol a fixed meaning, often a forecast. Freud reads the symbol through the dreamer’s own life and wishes. Both are shown side by side on every symbol page.

Does the moon phase affect dreams?

Some studies found slightly lighter sleep around the full moon; none has shown an effect on dream content. The moon phase is shown in the journal as a note, not as a cause.

Sources
  1. Miller G. H. Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted, 1901.
  2. Freud S. The Interpretation of Dreams, 1899.
  3. Jung C. G. Man and His Symbols, 1964.
  4. Artemidorus. Oneirocritica, 2nd century.
  5. Hall C. S., Van de Castle R. L. The Content Analysis of Dreams, 1966.
  6. Schredl M. Dream research: an introduction, in various editions.
How this page is made

Each symbol page sets three readings side by side and names where each comes from. A symbol is published only when its page has a full description with sources. Search volumes decide which symbols are written first.

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