The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language »

The Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries and of other reference titles published by Houghton Mifflin Company are trained lexicographers with a varied array of interests and expertise. Most of the editors hold graduate degrees and have studied at least one foreign language. Several have degrees in linguistics or in the history of the English language. Others have degrees in science or sometimes other disciplines. All the editors familiarize themselves with the vocabulary in specific subject areas, collect materials on new developments and usage, and work in association with consultants to ensure that the content of our publications is as accurate and as up-to-date as possible.

This newly updated edition of America’s favorite dictionary features revised biographical and geographical entries as well as up-to-date charts and tables for topics such as world currencies and chemical elements. Among the 500 entries new to this update are Amber Alert, blogosphere, gravitino, halo effect, hawala, lycopene, malware, micropolis, proteome, Qi Gong, SARS, shout-out, speed dating, sudoku, Texas hold’em, text message, and wiki.

The renowned American Heritage® Usage Panel, a group of more than 200 distinguished writers, scholars, and scientists, offers advice on problems of grammar and style; engaging notes explain word histories and clarify differences among synonyms; thousands of quotations and example sentences show words in context; and elegant definitions are enhanced by 4,000 full-color photographs, drawings, and maps, making this one of the most readable dictionaries available anywhere.

This dictionary can also be purchased with a fully loadable Windows® / Mac® CD-ROM that contains the entire text of the updated Fourth Edition, 68,000 audio pronunciations, 1,000 full-color photographs and illustrations, and a college-level thesaurus with more than 260,000 synonyms. The CD-ROM has spell-check capability and can be used in conjunction with any Microsoft® Office application to get definitions at the click of a mouse.

Library Journal

This dictionary, now in its fourth edition, makes it fun to look up definitions of words. Its main entries (of which 500 are brand new) are printed in blue a small difference, perhaps, but one that allows the eyes to scan pages easily. Full-color photographs and illustrations are set in the margins, where they gain prominence and do not disrupt the text. And these are no standard illustrations, as evidenced by the three-photo series illustrating the word implosion. Every pair of pages has a pronunciation key on the bottom right, so readers are spared that little dance of marking the page with a finger and tracking down the key. Some entries feature usage notes, regional notes, word histories, or a list of synonyms for the word. Conveniently, tables in the front indicate which entries have which notes. Essays on regional patterns in speech, usage, and the evolution of our language add to the utility and interest of this packed volume. Two appendixes list and discuss Indo-European and Semitic word roots, fantastic journeys into the origins of our rich and varied language. To boot, there are several new entries for words and phrases in American English. Bottom Line This up-to-date and eminently useful dictionary features fabulous full-color design that quickly and effectively guides users to the information they seek. Highly recommended for public and school libraries. Manya Chylinski, Boston Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.