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Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary by Websters Publications Staff (Manufactured by)

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(Hardcover)

  • Pub. Date: October 2003
  • 2264pp

    Reader Rating: (4 ratings)

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    Product Details

    • Pub. Date: October 2003
    • Publisher: Barnes & Noble
    • Format: Hardcover, 2264pp

    Synopsis

    Designed to meet the needs of today's students, businesspeople, readers, and word-lovers, Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary is a must-have reference tool for every home library. Packed with more that 315,000 entries—plus a special New-Words section with more than 1,100 important new words and meanings—this useful volume also offers:

    • 1,500 updated definitions and entries
    • 2,400 spot maps and illustrations
    • New and updated biographical entries
    • Revised geographical entries

    Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary is a complete home reference library in a single, comprehensive volume—a perfect resource for writers, readers, students and professionals.

    Customer Reviews

    Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionaryby Anonymous

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    July 10, 2007: This dictionary, with its $20 price tag, is, given its affordability and lexical scope, literally the best you can buy today. It will be especially useful for entering or current college students, although it could serve well anyone from a high school freshman to a university professor. I had the opportunity to hold a 2001 edition of Random House Webster's Unabridged, of which I believe the volume under discussion is some kind of facsimile or near-facsimile. Though the content of both dictionaries is literally exactly the same, the Random House lexicon is very heavy compared to this tome, which can easily be lifted using only one had by anyone of average strength. I used the NOAD (New Oxford American) and the tenth edition of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary before this one. You don't have to use Webster's New Universal for long before you notice that the definitions are much more comprehensive than those of M-W and the NOAD (and, I suspect, other general purpose US dictionaries). For example, WNU lists three senses of 'phantasmagoria,' a detailed etymology, and a host of inflected forms (including variants). NOAD lists a single definition of phantasmagoria, to the effect of 'a dreamlike series of images constantly in flux' (sorry--can't quote from it because I don't have it with me: I gave away already after getting WNU!), in effect combining the first and second senses listed in WNU, and completely ignoring the third, which has a phantasmagoria as an optical illusion created by a light source in which shadows behave unreally. M-W's doesn't fare much better: though it lists three senses, they are all fairly unspecific and do not match the detail and specificity (for lack of a better word) of the WNU definition. Also, WNU (qua unabridged dictionary) will have words that the other two dictionaries simply cannot due to their size (e.g., philosophaster (a pretender to knowledge of philosophy), etc.). It might be asked why I am comparing this dictionary to two others which are clearly not intended to be compared with dictionaries of the depth and scope of WNU. The reason is that WNU sells for only $20 (at the Barnes and Noble website at least, or in-store: you can call them up and have it delivered to one near you), whereas the list price of the NOAD is an outrageous $60, and M-W's Collegiate is $24. However, there are a few complaints about this dictionary I might reasonably entertain. First, it isn't as portable as a collegiate dictionary (again, qua unabridged, but if you want a good desk dictionary, this one is best). Again, this isn't to say that the dictionary is inordinately heavy or unwieldy--it is literally lighter than the NOAD, a much smaller dictionary (of only 250,000 words, cf. WNU's 350,000, with more comprehensive definitions at that) and much lighter than the 2001 edition of the Random House Unabridged (of which, again, I _think_ this edition is some kind of facsimile or partial facsimile). Second, the senses are not listed in historical order and the synonym lists are too few and far between. Admittedly, the last complaint is minor and probably idiosyncratic--I like synonym lists and historical ordering of senses aids the conceptualization of a new word--for me at least. However, none of these minor complaints should detract significantly from WNU if all you need is a desk dictionary. Finally, I would like to note that I believe that this dictionary will be especially useful for entering or...

    Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionaryby Anonymous

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    January 31, 2005: Would highly recommend this dictionary. I have several in my library and found it ALWAYS has the word I am looking to find.


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