MerriamWebster`s Desk Dictionary

图书标准信息

• 作者 Merriam-Webster 著
• 出版社 Merriam Webster,U.S.
• 出版时间 1996-01
• ISBN 9780877795490
• 定价 182.10元
• 装帧 精装
• 开本 其他
• 纸张 其他
• 页数 788页
• 正文语种 英语

【内容简介】

EssentialEnglishvocabularyplusawealthofusefulfactsandfigures.Morethan60,000entries.Over175illustrationsandtables.SpecialsectiononcommonEnglishnames.InformationaboutthecorevocabularyofEnglishiscombinedwithawealthoffactsandfiguresabouttheworldaroundus.Morethan60,000entriesarefeatured,alongwith150illustrations.

【作者简介】

TheMerriambrothersdesiredacontinuityofeditorshipthatwouldlinkNoahWebster'seffortswiththeirowneditions,sotheyselectedChaunceyA.Goodrich,Webster'sson-in-lawandliteraryheir,whohadbeentrainedinlexicographybyWebsterhimself,tobetheireditorinchief.Webster'ssonWilliamalsoservedasaneditorofthatfirstMerriam-Websterdictionary,whichwaspublishedonSeptember24,1847.

AlthoughWebster'sworkwashonored,hisbigdictionarieshadneversoldwell.The1828editionwaspricedatawhopping$20;in13yearsits2,500copieshadnotsoldout.Similarly,the1841edition,onlyslightlymoreaffordableat$15,movedslowly.Assumingthatalowerpricewouldincreasesales,theMerriamsintroducedthe1847editionat$6,andalthoughWebster'sheirsinitiallyquestionedthismove,extraordinarysalesthatbroughtthem$250,000inroyaltiesovertheensuing25yearsconvincedthemthattheMerriams'decisionhadbeenabundantlysound.

ThefirstMerriam-Websterdictionarywasgreetedwithwideacclaim.PresidentJamesK.Polk,GeneralZacharyTaylor(herooftheMexicanWarandlaterpresidenthimself),31U.S.senators,andotherprominentpeoplehaileditunreservedly.In1850itsacceptanceasaresourceforstudentsbeganwhenMassachusettsorderedacopyforeveryschoolandNewYorkplacedasimilarorderfor10,000copiestobeusedinschoolsthroughoutthestate.Eventuallyschoolusewouldspreadthroughoutthecountry.InbecomingAmerica'smosttrustedauthorityontheEnglishlanguage,Merriam-Websterdictionarieshadtakenonaroleofpublicresponsibilitydemandedoffewotherpublishingcompanies.