Webster's New World College Dictionary [antikvár]

FOREWORD The publication in 1988 of Webster's New World Dictionary, Third College Edition, was the triumphant result of more than four years of concentrated editorial effort and nearly as much time again in long-range research and planning. The new edition replaced the Second College Edition, which had served its readers well since 1970. It retained the many virtues of the parent volume while bolstering coverage of the rapidly growing lexicon of contemporaiy English and introducing important innovative lexicographic features. This 1997 copyright update represents the fifth revision of the dictionary since its first publication in 1988. It follows publication of relatively minor corrections in the fourth printing and the substantial copyright updates of 1991,1994, and 1996. It is the first to bring the reader supplementary tabular material following the A-Z section. This material has been carefully compiled to include the data most often requested by users of dictionaries, presented efficiently and logically, in the best Webster's New World tradition. With every passing year, new words enter the English language, existing words take on new meanings, accepted pronunciations and even spellings change, and the registers of words shift between the standard language and the colloquial. The editorial staff of Webster's New World conducts a continuous and wide-reaching program of monitoring language, collecting hnguistic data in the form of citations of words and expressions used in print and speech. It is these citations, now numbering well over one million, that serve as the foundation for the frequent, authoritative updates of the dictionary. The results of these efforts to keep the dictionary current can be seen in the hundreds of new entries added since this edition's first printing. Spanning the language from technical terminology to slang, these new entries help document the continuing evolution of American Enghsh and reflect the subtle interplay between language and culture. All changes are entered in the lexicographic database. For all its many changes, this latest Webster's New World College Dictionary still preserves the excellent characteristics of the original publication, particularly with respect to the clarity of definition, for which Webster's New World dictionaries has become justly famous. In addition, the work continues to chronicle with unmatched precision the vibrant lexical innovations of American English and to provide more synonym studies and detailed etymologies than any competing dictionary. The reader will benefit greatly from reading the articles in the front matter, particularly the Guide to the Use of the Dictionary, which begins on page xi. The essay on the English language by John Algeo, Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Georgia, will give useful insights into change and variation in the English language, topics so often puzzling to dictionary users. The discussion of etymology by the late William E. Umbach, former Dean of Graduate Studies, University of Redlands, will give the reader a deeper appreciation of the dictionary's etymologies, which have been highly praised over the years. Modem dictionaries represent massive collaborative efforts among editors over long periods of time. Editorial and administrative staff are listed on page vi. The staff page credits those responsible for the preparation of the Third College Edition of 1988 as well as those who subsequently contributed to the updatings of 1991,1994, and 1996. Where appropriate, dates are given to indicate the period of contribution. Michael Agnes Executive Editor December 1996