An array is just a collection, with the usual stipulation that you can access any element by a numeric index. On the other hand, a dictionary (also known as a hash) is a lookup table that has a key to a data value. Some languages emulate an array by means of a dictionary, where a numeric value can be used as a key. Given that your examples use non-numeric indexes, I'd be inclined to say that it more resembles a dictionary, rather than a classic array (at least in the contiguous memory model of C).