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The American Heritage dictionary deserves a mention, not only for its extensive usage panels of writers, but for its practice of putting the most current meanin
by dmckeon 3y ago
The American Heritage dictionary deserves a mention, not only for its extensive usage panels of writers, but for its practice of putting the most current meanings first, so that the dread “Webster’s defines X as…” is not followed by some antique meaning from the 1700s, but by a current meaning. The OED has no equal, of course, but for a dictionary that one can lift with one hand and read without a magnifier, the AHD is a high value tool.
- everybodyknows 3y agoSadly, the usage panel is no more, and maintenance of the ahdictionary.com web site apparently reduced to a skeleton crew: https://mypointbeing.com/2020/12/14/the-end-of-the-road-for-my-favorite-dictionary/ https://mypointbeing.com/2020/12/14/the-end-of-the-road-for-... I recall a blog post from one of the (former) members of the usage panel, but DDG isn't finding it for me now. Surely more than one of the former panelists have blogged about it -- anyone have links? It's a telling comment on corporate priorities of our time that there's funding for keeping up with social "sensitivity issues", but not for dropping references to the non-existent panel from the main website. Indeed, some of those listed as active members have already set down their pen for the last time: Harold Bloom, Joan Didion. https://ahdictionary.com/word/usagepanel.html https://ahdictionary.com/word/usagepanel.html