The English Illustrated Dictionary [antikvár]

PUBLISHER'S NOTE ON THE SECOND EDITION Since its publication in 1962 the Oxford Illustrated Dictionary has been reprinted three times, each time with additions and amendments. In this new edition it has been entirely revised and reset so as to include entries for words that have recently become established in current usage, and as far as possible an up-to-date record of developments in world affairs, institutions, and science and technology in everyday life. In the United Kingdom various changes have been taking place in the last few years; notably the adoption of decimal coinage, the gradual substitution of metric for imperial units of measurement, and the coming into force of the Local Government Act of 1972. At the time of going to press metrication is still at a transitional stage: metric measurements are in use in many departments of life, but not yet in all, and the dictionary reflects usage of 1974, which may alter within the next few years. Changes of nomenclature and function brought about by the Local Government Act apply to England and Wales as from April 1974; those for Scoüand are due in May 1975;' the reorganization of local government for Northern Ireland came into force in October 1^73. The publishers would like to thank the many correspondents who have offered suggestions and criticisms and others who have generously given advice when consulted on specialist matters. In particular they are grateful to Eric Bruton, F.B.H.I., F.G.A., Dr. R. B. Freeman, Anthony Hawksley, Des.R.C.A., F.R.S.A., R. B. Meirion-Williams, and T. A. Morris, B.M., B.Ch., for help with specific definitions; to Branches of the O.U.P. in various parts of the world for critical advice on local matters; to N. S. Doniach for revision of the etymologies of Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, and Sanskrit words; and to Mrs. J. M. Wilson for reading proofs. Many illustrations have been altered and modernized and a number of new ones have been added. John Brennan of Oxford Illustrators Ltd. undertook the necessary research and made the drawings. Material supplied by British Leyland Motor Corporation Ltd. (p. 552), Eric Bruton, F.B.H.I., F.G.A. (P- 347). Andrew J. Campbell (p. 589), Robert Goble & Son (pp. 154, 818), Ministry of Defence (p. 726), and J. M. Surman, R.I.B.A. (p. 22; also architectural details in general), is gratefully acknowledged. September 1974 ' The names of the Scottish regions were added in the second impression of the Dictionary (197s). PREFACE vocabulary The general reader for whom the book is intended may not always have another dictionary or encyclopaedia at his ready disposal and so the vocabulary has been chosen with an eye to the needs of one who may require either type of information. Information about words, however, is more often sought by the average user of a reference book than information about things and the vocabulary has therefore been based on that of the Concise Oxford Dictionary and the definitions retain its historical ordering. Familiar words are less fully treated, however, and the phrases illustrating such words have been more sparingly used so as to obtain a wider scope for the treatment of things. The vocabulary should thus be adequate for the reader who consults the book for ordinary dictionary purposes. But it also contains terms in everyday use which would be excluded from an ordinary dictionary because of their technical and scientific character or which would be very briefly dealt with; familiar words in semi-technical use (e.g. vertical trust, combine, etc.); the. names of famous people (e.g. statesmen, explorers, inventors, artists, and writers), historical, contemporary, or fictitious; and the names of important places and events. Special pains have been taken to ensure that scientific and technical terms are up to date and accurate in selection and in definition and at the same time intelligible to the user, but the present pace of development in science and technology is so swift that no reference book which deals with them in even the Hvl