false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176533496m/634168.jpg 634168 7 The subtitle of <I>Descriptionary</I> says it's "the book for when you know what it is, but not what it's called." Pretty useful, eh? But that description is also a bit limiting, as this handy reference guide can be just as easily used as a standard dictionary when you do know what the word is. Rather than the alphabetical arrangement found in dictionaries and thesauruses, the words here are grouped according to general categories, such as animal and insects, food and drink, the human body and mind, and occupations. Within these broad areas are subheadings--"environment" has been divided into 30 categories ranging from atmosphere to wind. The word listings in these short sections are alphabetical, and while each has a straightforward explanation, you won't find alternative spellings, a pronunciation guide, or any of those dictionary-standard accompaniments to the definition.<p> So why use this instead of a standard dictionary? Mainly, in order to take advantage of the unusual word arrangement, as it can operate most efficiently when you're writing a paper about a specific topic. Civics students looking up "malfeasance" will find on the same page a variety of words that may spark new ideas and instantly increase practical vocabulary, as any words that catch your eye will be closely related to the topic at hand. Also great for students is the "1,050 Words and Expressions You Should Know" chapter--from "ad hoc" to "zealous," it covers words used regularly in magazines, newspapers, and textbooks. Adults learning a new skill or deciphering current events will find that the sections function nicely as a glossary; the sections on sports, politics, gardening, and cooking are especially helpful in this manner. <I>--Jill Lightner</I> 620462 1992 Descriptionary (Facts on File: Writer's Library) total:29|5:10|4:12|3:5|2:2|1:0| 29 117 68 6 3 1 false false Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Fri Sep 05 17:10:37 -0700 2008 Fri Sep 05 17:10:37 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Fri Nov 21 23:31:21 -0800 2008 Fri Nov 21 23:33:53 -0800 2008 3 0 false false Wed Aug 20 22:23:10 -0700 2008 Wed Aug 20 22:32:06 -0700 2008
A word list example from the dog's section includes:
Apple head
badger-marked
...more...]]> 0 0 false false Mon Apr 06 11:32:01 -0700 2009 Thu Apr 23 05:54:03 -0700 2009 Charity shop find.]]> 5 0 false false Fri Jun 20 20:04:36 -0700 2008 Fri Jun 20 20:06:59 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2000 Mon Mar 24 10:06:04 -0700 2008 Mon Mar 24 10:07:12 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Fri Nov 13 14:35:48 -0800 2009 Fri Nov 13 14:35:48 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Thu Oct 29 16:31:51 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 29 16:50:13 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sun Oct 18 22:00:03 -0700 2009 Sun Oct 18 22:00:03 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Wed Oct 14 14:19:33 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 14 14:19:33 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sat Oct 10 04:46:01 -0700 2009 Sat Oct 10 04:46:01 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Fri Oct 02 22:45:55 -0700 2009 Fri Oct 02 22:45:55 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Thu Oct 01 17:56:54 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 01 17:56:54 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Wed Sep 09 10:25:42 -0700 2009 Wed Sep 09 10:25:42 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Thu Sep 03 16:34:27 -0700 2009 Thu Sep 03 16:34:27 -0700 2009 2 0 false false Sat Aug 29 18:12:35 -0700 2009 Sat Aug 29 18:12:35 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sat Aug 22 12:03:52 -0700 2009 Sat Aug 22 12:03:52 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sat Aug 08 13:05:30 -0700 2009 Sat Aug 08 13:05:30 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Thu Jun 11 13:05:24 -0700 2009 Thu Jun 11 13:05:24 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Tue Jun 02 08:41:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 02 08:41:13 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=634168