The New Merriam-Webster Pocket Dictionary [antikvár]

PREFACEThe first Merriam-Webster Pocket Dictxonary was published In 1947. Its reception over the yeárs has been such that after the ap-pearanceof a new Merriam-Webster unabridged, Webster's ThirdNew International Dictionary, in 1961, a new pocket dictionary became necessary and inevitable to serve the needs of present-day users. This New Merriam-Webster Pocket Dictionary has been completely revised, enlarged, and reset in a new typeface (Times Román) and with a larger page. Like the large unabridged dictionary from which it is drawn, it is a citation dictionary. This means that every definition is based on examples in the Merriam-Webster files of actual use, ex-amples that cover the rangé of Modern English from Shakespeare and the Bible down to Iiving authors writing and publishing today. It means alsó that the selection of words and senses for inclusion is based on actual recorded use or on users* highly probable need.To get satisfactory and pleasing rewards from looking into a dictionary one must learn how to use ít, that is, how to interpret the Information that is contained at each entry. This knowledge involves mainly an ability to recognize different typefaces, a small number of abbreviations that occur over and over, and a few traditional dictionary devices. Every user is, therefore, urged to find time to read this preface carefully.THE ENTRYThe entries in this dictionary begin on page 1 and continue in alphabetical order from A to Z on page 592. Each page contains, set off at the top, a pair of guide words to the entries contained alphabetically between them on the page. The entries are printed in heavy black letters (boldface type) set flush with the left-hand margin or run on after a dash. The left-hand words (like abide) are MAIN ENTRIES and determine the alphabetical order. Those following dashes (like absolutely at absolute) are DERIVATIVE ENTRIES, derived from or förmed on the main entry.Most English words, especially nouns and verbs, change their forms to agree with their varying roles in context. Nouns have plural forms (as boys and houses). Verbs have past forms (as walked and amplijied) and participial forms (as walking, amplijying, and shown). Adjectíves and adverbs have comparative forms (like cheaper and happier) and superlative forms (like cheapest and happiest). When these forms are made regularly like thousands of other words, the forms are not shown in this dictionary because every native speaker of English is able to form them himself by repeated use of similar forms. If, however, these forms are irregular, they appear in boldface type and are called INFLECTIONAL ENTRIES. Examples: mice at mouse, beeves or beefs at beef, beaux or beaus at beau, fungi or íunguses at fungus, saw and seenat see, abetted and abetting4a