Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Reference Set [With CDROM] [Hardcover]

Merriam-Webster (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 087779815X | ISBN-13: 978-0877798156 | Publication Date: January 2004 | Edition: 11 Har/Cdr

A great 4 in 1 value! An attractive slipcase houses Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition (over 225,000 definitions), Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus (alphabetically listing more than 340,000 synonyms, antonyms, related words and idioms), both books jacketed and thumb-notched. The set includes the WIN/MAC CD titled "Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary & Thesaurus, Electronic Edition" which installs easily on a hard drive for instant accessibility, and boasts dozens of search options.

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

• Hardcover: 2558 pages
• Publisher: Merriam-Webster; 11 Har/Cdr edition (January 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 087779815X
• ISBN-13: 978-0877798156
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 7.5 x 3.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,417,721 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Books are nice, but having them on my laptop is perfect!, May 2, 2002

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Reference Set (Book ) with CDROM (Hardcover)

I'm an editorial freelancer, so I haul my laptop around a lot between multiple clients' offices. Inspired by a review here at Amazon, I ordered the book/CD combo, and it's been great! I keep the books on my desk in the "home office," and I installed the software on my PowerBook.

The Mac interface is not very well designed--it takes a lot of mouse clicks to get from word to word, and there don't seem to be any keyboard shortcuts--but it gets the job done soooo much faster than thumbing through the book when I'm on a deadline. I use it constantly.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Set, August 4, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Reference Set (Book ) with CDROM (Hardcover)

This dictionary and thesaurus set with the CD Rom make a great combination. The books provide excellent word definitions and synonyms for thousands of different words. The CD Rom is handy too in those times that you don't have the books around and just want to look something up quick and easy on your computer. This was definitely a great buy at a great price!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars IRC Section 529, September 15, 2007

By 

IRC Section 529 (Anaheim, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Reference Set [With CDROM] (Hardcover)

Since I am an international student studying in the United States, my perspective is slightly different from those of other reviewers. If you are studying for standardized tests such as SAT or GRE, this is 'the' ultimate authority you should refer to whenever you feel unsure about the exact meanings of the vocabularies you see in past administrated tests. If you practice on questions on analogy for awhile, for example, you would discover that the ETS (Educational Testing Services), the maker of GRE and SAT, also relies intensively, although not thoroughly, on Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary definitions to design their questions. Only by referring to the MW can you truly understand why certain answer choice is correct, while others are not.

As a bonus, you also have exclusive rights to send inquires on difficult words to MW resourceful editors, a service I find extremely helpful. Although responses are slow (because of, surprisingly, numerous projects in Merriam-Webster Corporation), you will generally receive the most authoritative answers from the brightest people on the planet. As an ESL learner, I am deeply obsessed with the flexibility, inherent logic, and beauty of English language; all introduced by this enlightening tome.