The API can be used to retrieve information about ontologies and terms in the Ontomasticon system. The API returns JSON formatted objects.
These endpoints return a term object.
Given a term's URI returns a JSON term object. The URI must be URL-encoded.
Given a term's short name returns a JSON term object.
Add to either endpoint to return the term as a SKOS concept in JSON-LD or Turtle, including the properties TDWG requires of controlled vocabulary terms. A term's acronym is an alternative label.
On a site that is a glossary, the term is followed by its words as OntoLex lexical entries: its name
at the term's URI with #entry added (or :entry when the URI already has a
fragment), and its acronym at #acronym (or :acronym). They give their LexInfo
term type, and whether the word is the preferred term or, for a synonym, an admitted one.
Returns a JSON array of up to ten terms whose name, short name or acronym contains the text, those that start
with it first, as the site's search box suggests them. Each has its name,
shortname, acronym (or null) and uri, and the name of its vocabulary (or null).
Each also has synonym_of: for a synonym, the name of the term it is a synonym of, whose
uri and vocabulary are given; otherwise null.
These endpoints return JSON-LD, or Turtle when format=ttl is added.
Given a controlled vocabulary's short name returns the vocabulary as a SKOS concept scheme, followed by all of its terms as SKOS concepts.
Returns the terms that aren't in a controlled vocabulary, as the site's own concept scheme.
The site's own addresses return the same RDF to clients that ask for it with the header
Accept: application/ld+json or Accept: text/turtle, or with
?format=jsonld or ?format=ttl: the site's address returns the site's
concept scheme, /cv/ followed by a short name returns that vocabulary's scheme,
and the address of a term that isn't in a vocabulary returns the term. Other clients,
including browsers, get the HTML page.
AI applications that support the Model Context Protocol (MCP), such as Claude, can search the site's terms
and read them through its MCP server, at https://glossary.acousti.cloud/api/mcp. For example, to add it to
Claude Code: claude mcp add --transport http abg https://glossary.acousti.cloud/api/mcp
The server has these tools, none of which change anything:
Search the site's terms by name, short name, acronym or synonym, or by words in their definitions. Terms whose name starts with the search come first. Definitions are shortened here: use get_term for a term's full definition and its references.
Get a term by its URI or short name: its full definition as plain text, its references (numbered, so [1] in the definition cites the first), its vocabulary, its synonyms, and its broader, narrower and related terms. A synonym is deprecated, and gives the term it is a synonym of.
List the site's controlled vocabularies, with how many terms each has. The first, whose short name is null, is the site's own terms, which aren't in a controlled vocabulary.
List the terms in a controlled vocabulary, or the site's own terms, which aren't in one, 50 at a time in order of name. Synonyms are given with the terms they are synonyms of. Definitions are shortened here: use get_term for a term's full definition.
The server gives AI applications these instructions for their models:
Bioacoustics & Ecoacoustics Glossary: Glossary of terms used in bioacoustics and ecoacoustics. Compiled by Ed Baker.
Quoted text in a definition is word for word from the reference its [n] points to.
When a term has several definitions, give them separately and quote them exactly, with their spelling and citations, rather than blending them.
Terms often have narrower meanings in bioacoustics and ecoacoustics than in everyday English: use the glossary's.
Search for one word or the start of one (stridul finds stridulation), and try acronyms and other spellings (behaviour, behavior).
If a term isn't in the glossary, say so, and don't present a definition from elsewhere as the glossary's.
Cite the glossary when you make use of its content.
Use search_terms to find terms by name, acronym or synonym, or by words in their definitions, and get_term for a term's full definition, references and related terms. list_vocabularies and list_terms list the terms. Each term is identified by its URI. When you use a definition, give the term's URI and the references the term gives: [1] in a definition cites the first reference. The terms are published under the license at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
To cite this website:
Ed Baker (2026) Bioacoustics & Ecoacoustics Glossary (https://glossary.acousti.cloud/). Accessed on October 31, 2026, 1:38 am.