The Little Oxford Dictionary of Current English [antikvár]

mHXS work is based on the Pocket Oxford Dictionary Xedited by F. G. Fowler and H. W. Fowler; and, liko it rests ultimately upon the authority of the great Oxford Dictionary edited by Drs. Murray, Bradley, Craigie, and Onions [1884-1928]. The choice of words is in the main that oL the Pocket Oxford Dictionary, but new words and phrases, whose place and dignity in the language is not yet assured, have been admitted rather more freely. It has been thought advisable to give more space to the usage of the United States of America than is commonly done in smaller English dictionaries, because the interaction of the two great branches of the English language is steadily increas^ ing. We think at once of the wider sprcad of American books and journals; of cinema captions and of the new power of wireless; but these are only striking examplcs of the growing rapidity and frequency of all means of eommunication; and free communication is the great leveller of differences in language. As the distinction of American usages is of considerable importance, they are marked by an asterisk * preüxed to a word, phrase, or meaning; and the sign must be understood as a mark of territorial origin or use, and as in no sense pejorative. Attention has alsó been given to words and meanings eommon in the British Empire overseas; and if, in this or other respects, a user of the dictionary íinds it incomplete, he is asked to remember that it is a Little Dictionary, in which rigorous selection has been necessary. Compounds and derivatives. Generally words are given in their alphabetical order; but for brevity compounds and somé derivatives are grouped under the main word. Foreign wtords and phrases are enteredamong English words in their alphabetical order, and are printed in tho same black type as the English words; but a parallel sign 11 prefixed marks tliose foreign words and phrases that are not yet naturalized in English and are therefore commonly found printed in italic type._ _ P. at the end of a definition indicatcs that the word deflned is or appears to be a proprietary term, trade mark, or the like; but competence to settle the question whethcr a word is or is not proprietarv is disclaimed. In order to save space, deűnitions have been omitted from derivatives where the meaning is sufüciently clear from the meanings given for tho main word. For the same reason many words have been shortened by the use of the tilde ~; e.g. under fulfil, ~ment =fulfllment; fusible, ~bility =fusibility; emerge, ~nce = emergcnce. Where more than one spellinp: is given tho first is to bo preferred. 3193a 2