This is the first dictionary in China that works with sounds instead with classifiers or meanings. It was compiled by Liu Xi 劉熙 or Liu Zhen 劉珍 at the beginning of the 2nd century AD. The author tries to trace back the meaning of a word/character to a word that is similarly pronounced. He goes so far as to group together even words that have a similar meaning and tries to show that a similar sound eventually leads to a similar meaning, even if the characters are written totally different. This was a common method of Han Dynasty philosphers and commentors. A few examples: "emperor" 帝 (di), exactly pronounced like "careful, attentive" 諦 (di). Other examples are the words for "righteousness, humanity" 仁 and man 人, both pronounced ren, or "friendship" 誼 and "proper, right" 宜, both pronounced yi.
The chapters of the Shiming - showing the trend to the creation of encyclopedias - are:

1. Heaven (1), Earth (2), Mountains (3), Rivers (4), Hills (5), Ways (6), Administration (7), Body (8) 2. Movement (Verbs, 9), Life and Age (10), Parents and Relatives (11), Language (12), Feedings (13), Materials (14), Adornments (15) 3. Clothing (16), Palaces (17), Furniture (18), Writings (19), Canons (20) 4. Objects of daily use (21), Music instruments (22), Military (23), Chariots (24), Boats (24), Diseases (25), Funerals (26)

天，豫，司，袞，冀，以舌腹言之。天，顯也，在上高顯也。
The words tian (Heaven), yu (pleased), si (charged), gun (robe), and ji (hoping) are spoken with the back of the tongue. Heaven tian, is manifest xian, eminent in the utmost height.
青，徐以舌頭言之。天，壇也，坦然高而遠也。
The words qing (bluegreen) and xu (calm) are spoken with the tip of the tongue. Heaven tian, is an altar tan, peacefully high and wide.
日，實也。光明盛實也。月，闕也。滿則闕也。
Sun rgs". Book of Rites: The great illumination is born in the east. This word is also a surname. Shengxianqun Fulu ("Revised Records of the many Saints and Wises") by Tao Qian (Tao Yuanming): Emperor Shun loved the east and never spoke badly of it.
韻藻【南東】《詩》：——其畝。《李孝先詩》：余其歸老兮沂之——。《邵寶詩》：楚帆連日阻——。 Noun Combinations: Southeast. Book of Songs: In the southeast are the fields. Poems of Li Xiaoxian: When I retire in old age, I will go southeast of the River Yi. Poems of Zhao Bao: The sailboats of Chu day by day stop at the southeast.
增【震東】《易》：——方也。《漢書》：震在於東方，為春，為木。《朱子》：——兌西。
Verb-Noun Completions: Shivering + east. Book of Changes: The hexagram zhen "shivering" represents the east. Hanshu: The hexagram zhen belongs to the east. It signifies the spring and the element wood. Master Zhu Xi: The hexagram zhen is the east, the hexagram dui is the west.
對語：渭北。日下。河內。河朔。雲北。海右。江東。
Synonymes: North of the River Wei. Under the sun. Inside the Yellow River... North of the Yellow River. North of the clouds. On the right side to the sea... East of the Yangtse River.
摘句：力障百川東。攜琴又向東。河源落日東。
Quotations: Separated by force, the hundred rivers flow to the east... Taking the zither and going to the east... At the source of the Yellow river, the sun sets in the east.