The Indispensable Dictionary Of Unusual Words

From aasvogel (the South African vulture) to knurry (full of knots), from melangeur (a machine for making chocolate syrup) to zumbooruk (a small cannon fired from the back of a camel), the words in this book are guaranteed to expand your vocabulary and confound your friends. They may be obscure and even preposterous, but every entry in this eye-opening book has been accepted as a formal or legitimate English word by at least one major dictionary. This dictionary does not claim or attempt to be complete. It is based completely on the editor’s sense of wonder and absurdity. It is educational, yes, but also more fun than any dictionary has a right to be!

A guide for both language lovers and trivia buffs provides a treasury of palindromes, anagrams, strange word origins, and surprising definitions that give insight into the top ten worst-sounding words in the English language and more. Original.

Broken down by category, this comprehensive reference is the go-to guide for readers and writers who want to expand their knowledge of language. This unique reference book strives to define words and phrases that the average person often encounters but which may not be immediately familiar. Batten, kiosk, proctor, coup de grace, alliteration, parsec, corona, renal, joystick, decant, citadel. Broken down into over fifty categories—from cultural essentials like art, history, and sports to modern obsessions like text messaging and hip hop slang—this book is a word lover's dream and a useful handbook for any student. It covers theatre. It even has a section of foreign words commonly used in English. Expand your vocabulary. Improve your writing. Broaden your horizons!

A compact reference book that collects words and phrases so new they have not yet been recorded in dictionaries. Delightfully illustrated by Elwood Smith, this is a useful tool for the serious lexicographer and a lighthearted look at some of the wackiest words in the English language. 20 cartoons.

Reprint of the 1984 Oxter English Dictionary, with a substantial appendix of newer words. Literary words are defined and used in context from the fiction of best-selling and less-selling writers published from 1945 to the present. Over 1300 words are defined using examples from 200 novels by 90 authors. No pronunciation. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

"Features more than 10,000 entries that focus exclusively on words that, while outside most people's working vocabulary, are often encountered in literature, in technical writings such as computing or medical terminology, and in such diverse subject areas as law, philosophy, and art. Special attention is given to easily confused or closely related words. Usage notes are provided to ensure that readers know how to integrate these words into their vocabularies for more precision and power in speech and writing."--Back cover.

Since its first release, this unique dictionary has sold more than 80,000 copies. Now, Mrs. Byrne herself has added more terms to the reference, making it the most definitive dictionary of unusual and obscure terms ever. Thousands of the weirdest words in the English language are featured, each with a clear definition. "Will give great pleasure to many".--UPI.