dic ‧ ta ‧ tion /dɪkˈteɪʃ ə n/ BrE AmE noun
1 . [uncountable] when you say words for someone to write down:
There were no secretaries available to take dictation (=write down what someone is saying) .
2 . [countable] a piece of writing that a teacher reads out to test your ability to hear and write the words correctly:
I hate doing French dictations.