Port 765 is assigned to Webster, a TCP-based network dictionary protocol that provided access to word definitions over the Internet.
What Webster Does
Webster is a simple query/response protocol. A client connects to port 765, sends a word, and receives its definition from a dictionary database. Some implementations also provided access to a thesaurus.
The protocol operated over TCP, guaranteeing that your query and the definition arrived intact and in order.
The History
For many years, the Internet community relied on the Webster protocol for natural language definitions.1 This was the original network dictionary service—doing over the network what you now do with a search engine or API: looking up what words mean.
The Webster protocol was deliberately simple. It connected to a single dictionary database (and optionally a thesaurus). That simplicity worked when the Internet was smaller and needs were simpler.
Why It Was Replaced
Webster couldn't scale to multiple dictionaries. If you wanted to search across different languages, specialized technical dictionaries, or historical references, Webster couldn't help. You got one database, and that was it.
In 1997, the DICT Development Group created the Dictionary Server Protocol (DICT), documented in RFC 2229.1 DICT runs on port 2628 and supports multiple databases, different search strategies, and metadata about sources—everything Webster couldn't do.
Webster was surpassed, but not forgotten. It proved that networked reference services were valuable enough to build protocols around.
The Genuine Strangeness
The Webster protocol is a reminder that before search engines indexed everything, people built specific protocols for specific kinds of knowledge. One port for definitions. Another for time. Another for email. The Internet wasn't always general-purpose—it was assembled from dozens of specialized services, each with its own port.
Port 765 was the door to definitions. That's all it did, and for years, that was enough.
Security Considerations
Webster is a plain-text protocol with no authentication or encryption. If you're running a Webster server (unlikely in 2026), anyone can query it, and anyone watching the network can see what words you're looking up.
Modern dictionary services use HTTPS (port 443) instead.
Related Ports
- Port 2628 - DICT protocol, Webster's successor
- Port 2627 - Where some Webster servers historically listened (unofficial)
- Port 79 - Finger protocol, another early information lookup service
How to Check What's Using Port 765
On Linux or macOS:
On Windows:
You're unlikely to find anything. Webster servers are rare today, replaced by web-based services and modern APIs.
Frequently Asked Questions About Port 765
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