Webster's New School & Office Dictionary [antikvár]

1 INTRODUCTION iHIS Dictionary has been prepared to satisfy the needs of busy people who must be able to find quickly and easily the spelling, pronunciation, and meanings of the word they are investigating. The vocabulary has been carefully selected to include all the everyday words and meanings and, in addition, a large number of the less common words that the average reader might encounter or have occasion to use. Included also are a number of recent coinages in the sciences and arts so new that they were entered as this book went to press. To facilitate easy reference, every word included in this dictionary receives individual entry and pronunciation. There is no need to search for run-on derivatives at the end of key entries. The pronunciations are recorded in the simplest key consistent with accurate transcription. The definitions are written in a clear, simple style so that they can be understood at a glance. Individual parts of speech are clearly distinguished. Synonyms are liberally entered in the text of the definition proper for the greater convenience of the writer and student. Terms at the slang level of usage are designated [Slang]; words of foreign borrowing that are not yet fully naturalized in English are marked with the language of origin. Many prefixes and other combining forms have been entered and defined so that the meanings of compound words too esoteric for inclusion can be inferred from the meanings of the various elements. At the back of this dictionary will be found a number of supplementary charts, tables, and lists on a variety of subjects. Such encyclopedic information enhances the value of the book as a one-volume compendium of general information. The phonetic key to pronunciation will be found on the following page.