The objective of this study is to investigate how learners of Italian as a second or foreign language search for new meanings in online Italian dictionaries. Using eye-tracking technology, we carried out experiments inviting users to do exercises on ‘combinations of words’ while they consulted various dictionaries, including De Mauro – Internazionale and Garzanti Linguistica. Results should suggest how to make digital dictionaries more efficient and thus more useful for learners of Italian as a second or foreign language.