A thesaurus designed for students grades 9 and up, ages 14 and
older. Over 157,000 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic phrases, and
related and contrasted words. Brief definitions describe shared
meanings. Abundant usage examples.
內容簡介:
This thesaurus is designed for high-school students, and contains
over 157,000 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic phrases, and related and
contrasted words. Brief definitions describe shared meanings, and
there are abundant usage examples
關於作者:
The Merriam brothers desired a continuity of editorship that would
link Noah Webster''s efforts with their own editions, so they
selected Chauncey A. Goodrich, Webster''s son-in-law and literary
heir, who had been trained in lexicography by Webster himself, to
be their editor in chief. Webster''s son William also served as an
editor of that first Merriam-Webster dictionary, which was
published on September 24, 1847.
Although Webster''s work was honored, his big dictionaries had never
sold well. The 1828 edition was priced at a whopping $20; in 13
years its 2,500 copies had not sold out. Similarly, the 1841
edition, only slightly more affordable at $15, moved slowly.
Assuming that a lower price would increase sales, the Merriams
introduced the 1847 edition at $6, and although Webster''s heirs
initially questioned this move, extraordinary sales that brought
them $250,000 in royalties over the ensuing 25 years convinced them
that the Merriams'' decision had been abundantly sound.
The first Merriam-Webster dictionary was greeted with wide acclaim.
President James K. Polk, General Zachary Taylor hero of the
Mexican War and later president himself, 31 U.S. senators, and
other prominent people hailed it unreservedly. In 1850 its
acceptance as a resource for students began when Massachusetts
ordered a copy for every school and New York placed a similar order
for 10,000 copies to be used in schools throughout the state.
Eventually school use would spread throughout the country. In
becoming America''s most trusted authority on the English language,
Merriam-Webster dictionaries had taken on a role of public
responsibility demanded of few other publishing
companies.
Since 1937. Merriam-Webster is America''s foremost publisher of
language-related reference works. The company publishes a diverse
array of print and electronic products, including Merriam-Webster''s
Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition – America''s
best-selling desk dictionary – and Webster''s Third New
International Dictionary, Unabridged. Merriam-Webster can be
considered the direct lexicographical heir of Noah Webster. In
1843, the company bought the rights to the 1841 edition of
Webster''s magnum opus, An American Dictionary of the English
Language, Corrected and Enlarged. At the same time, they secured
the rights to create revised editions of the work. Since that time,
Merriam-Webster editors have carried forward Noah Webster''s work,
creating some of the most widely used and respected dictionaries
and reference books in the world.