Customer Reviews

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary and Thesaurus (Dictionary/Thesaurus)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The other reviewers appear to address the printed version rather than the Kindle-specific version. I am focusing on the Kindle Application.

Strengths -- easily used under Kindle platform, terse, usually is clear in distinguishing parts of speech, and it can be used as the default dictionary.

Weaknesses
1. Definitions are not necessarily any more complete than those from the New Oxford American Dictionary(already built-in on Kindle). Several that I used tonight were less so.

2. Definitions for one part of speech are often dependent on another definition listed for another part of speech (a weakness of many dictionaries that is annoying for more complex or unfamiliar words)
----Simple example: the word anger is both a noun and a verb, Thus they define the verb form as "to make angry".

3. Thesaurus component is okay and gives additional ideas for the verb "anger". However antonyms are very limited if the purpose is to use this as a writing resource. Very few choices.
----For example: antonyms for anger (verb) were delight, gratify and please. But other common options are missing such as calm, sooth, pacify. One would have to keep browsing and unless you set this as the default, you keep ending up in another dictionary when trying to do that.

4. Word Origins are sometimes given, mostly abbreviated and with less detail than in Kindle's Default Dictionary.

I have not compared word counts. Sheer mass of definitions is a misleading index of quality.

Don't buy it !

Believe it or not, there is no way to go directly to the word you are interested in; or even directly to the beginning of the section containing its starting letter !

I have been using a Webster's dictionary daily when solving crossword puzzles.
I ordered this one as a replacement and I am totally disappointed in its amazing
lack of content. This Webester'[[ASIN:0877798095 Merriam-Webster's Collegiate
Dictionary, 11th Edition thumb-notched with Win/Mac CD-ROM and Online
Subscription]]s dictionary is missing an alphabet table for Greek, Arabic, and
English for example, and it is missing an currency table for countries around
the world. Also it is missing countries and states with capitals and population
information. Also it is missing famous people and pictures. Finally the size
is much larger then I expected.

Dare I comment here. The layout of the book, the expressive description of the words and the simplicity with which such complicated work is printed make it a real joy to indulge in.

I originally purchased this volume hoping to cut the cost of buying two separate books. As a college student, cutting corners in the pricey textbook department is almost always ideal. In this case, I regret stooping to such a measure.

I found the format confusing to navigate, particularly when switching between the Thesaurus and Dictionary modes. The Dictionary portion was SEVERELY lacking in comprehension, and I found myself turning to other resources time and time again for definitions not included in this volume. The Thesaurus was rudimentary at best, most likely curtailed by the limited space.

Overall, a great idea in need of some extensive improvement. If you have plans to use this for any serious research beyond the basic level, invest in another, more comprehensive option. Don't waste money here.

My 6th grader needed a dictionary and a thesaurus for school (and my 5th grader is always asking me for synonyms) and so I headed over to one of the big book stores expecting to have to buy TWO books. I was quite happy when I saw this one, with both dictionary and thesaurus combined. (It's a lot easier to handle one book than two; it's a lot better for one book on the dining room table than two!)

The synonyms easily stand out in small little gray boxes right in the same listing as the definition. They seem to give just about the right number of synonyms so it won't overwhelm my kids. (It is not the The Synonym Finder.) It even has a concise guide to grammar in the back. This thing is perfect for my 5th and 6th graders. Five stars for that purpose.

This is an indispensable tool for writers and editors. However, as a rather enormous paperback, I'm sure that it won't hold up under regular wear for very long.

I was disappointed in this dictionary. It seemed to be missing some fairly common words. I thought it would be handy to have the thesaurus included, but I never used it.

It's good for most levels, excluding advanced readers, easy to understand, big enough font size, every student or learner should have it unless you have your computer next to you all the time. :p . Cheers...

I purchased this item to aid in the process of grant writing. It is a great help and so easy to use.