The Merriam-Webster Dictionary [Mass Market Paperback]

Merriam-Webster (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1994 | Series: Merriam-Webster Dictionary

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary continues the Merriam-Webster tradition and provides clear, concise definitions and essential information about the most common words in the language. With more than 70,000 entries, this invaluable resource contains the key features usually found only in larger hardcover dictionaries: pronunciations, etymologies, grammatical information, usage notes, synonym lists, and more.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

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. 

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 896 pages
• Publisher: Merriam-Webster (July 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877799113
• ISBN-13: 978-0877799115
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,178,011 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Eighth Grade and Lower, April 16, 2000

By 

D. S. Heersink "D. Stephen Heersink" (San Francisco) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Merriam-Webster Dictionary (Mass Market Paperback)

This paperback was a major disappointment. I already have excellent hardback dictionaries, including the Collegiate version. But this version doesn't come close the Collegiate, and may not even be resourceful for eighth graders. The book struck out on the first of three inquiries. A closer look revealed polysyllabic words are few, and less common words are rare. If you're looking for a lightweight paperback to supplement your other resources, this dictionary is NOT it.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars some basic words not found and some obscurely explained, September 28, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Wuhan, PR China) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Merriam-Webster Dictionary (Mass Market Paperback)

For instance, I can not find "COSSET" in this paper back dictionary and "BOGGLE" is only explained as "to overwhelm or to be overwhelmed by fright". So it's a pity that when I usaually use this dictionary, I have to use a heavier dictionary to look up such words as "COSSET" and "BOGGLE". After all, this dictionary is a suitable one for common use. I expect that it could diminish the differenc with its HOME and OFFICE Edition. M-Webster should not make this dictionary more like a pocket and simple one. Thank you!

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ready reference: a standard for common, nonliterary usage, December 7, 2001

By 

Brian Melendez (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Merriam-Webster Dictionary (Mass Market Paperback)

The best pocket-sized, paperback dictionary of American English. With 70,000 words, this dictionary abridges the 215,000-word "Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary" (which, in turn, abridges the 445,000-word "Webster's Third New International Dictionary Unabridged"). The name "Webster's" long ago passed into the public domain, but these three dictionaries--and the Merriam-Webster brand--are the lineal descendants of Noah Webster's original nineteenth-century dictionaries, the first dictionaries of American English, which have been in print continuously for almost two centuries.

I keep this paperback handy on my desk for ready reference (along with a thesaurus, a style manual, and a usage dictionary). On the shelf nearby, I keep a more extensive basic reference set, including the heftier hardbound "Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary," of which this paperback version is a subset. This dictionary is highly abridged, thus not the most appropriate reference if you are looking for a word's detailed etymology, for an obscure word, or for thoroughness. But when writing for a nonliterary audience, when clear and simple communication is the goal, this book is a good check against writing that is getting too high and mighty. If a word does not appear here, I think twice about using it, keeping in mind the Fowler brothers' first "general principle" of good writing: "Prefer the familiar word to the far-fetched."

If you are buying one and only one dictionary, go with the hardbound "Collegiate Dictionary": it is more complete, yet stays within the realm of familiar words. But if you can manage, I recommend stocking both that dictionary and this one. Keep the hardbound version on the shelf, within reach, and consult it as necessary; but keep this one at your fingertips, and consult it routinely.