a = {'one':1,'two':2}
print a['three']

import collections
a = collections.defaultdict(lambda: 3)
a.update({'one':1,'two':2})
print a['three']

>>> import sys
>>> a = collections.defaultdict(lambda: 'blah')
>>> print len(a), sys.getsizeof(a)
0 140
>>> for i in xrange(99): _ = a[i]
...
>>> print len(a), sys.getsizeof(a)
99 6284

>>> class mydict(dict):
...   def __missing__(self, key): return 3
...
>>> a = mydict()
>>> print len(a), sys.getsizeof(a)
0 140
>>> for i in xrange(99): _ = a[i]
...
>>> print len(a), sys.getsizeof(a)
0 140

$ python -mtimeit -s'import collections; a=collections.defaultdict(int); r=xrange(99)' 'for i in r: _=a[i]'
100000 loops, best of 3: 14.9 usec per loop

$ python -mtimeit -s'class mydict(dict):
>   def __missing__(self, key): return 0
> ' -s'a=mydict(); r=xrange(99)' 'for i in r: _=a[i]'
10000 loops, best of 3: 92.9 usec per loop

>>> class forgiving_dict(dict):
...     def __missing__(self, key):
...         return 3
...
>>> a = forgiving_dict()
>>> a.update({'one':1,'two':2})
>>> print a['three']
3

>>> print a
{'two': 2, 'one': 1}

from collections import defaultdict
def default(): return 'Default Value'
d = defaultdict(default)
print(d['?'])

collection = {}
for elem in mylist:
    key = key_from_elem(elem)
    collection.setdefault(key, []).append(elem)