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Random House Webster's Pocket American Dictionary
The #1 best-selling Random House Webster's pocket reference title, now completely revised and updated.
*40,000 entries, including hundreds of new words and meanings.
*Every entry has been reviewed for clarity and conciseness, and 80% have been rewritten.
*40,000 entries, including hundreds of new words and meanings.
*Every entry has been reviewed for clarity and conciseness, and 80% have been rewritten.
- GenresReference
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 15, 1983
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 19, 2025
This is about the fifth and last edition (2008), ISBN-10 0375722718, ISBN-13 978-0375722714.
Yes, it’s printed in a very small typeface.
Yes, you need glasses.
Yes, it lacks some words (“typeface” is obviously missing).
But one cannot ask too much from a dictionary of this size. It’s a pocket edition!
This is not Random House Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary (I still own the last CD-ROM edition).
This is not Random House Webster’s College Dictionary (I own its last “red” edition, 2000).
And yet, when a word is included, its major meanings are clearly and succinctly explained.
It’s so sad that Random House Reference had to die. Merriam-Webster’s large dictionaries have abysmal definitions. Random House Webster’s were the best!
Now, Merriam-Webster’s Pocket Dictionary (2015), ISBN-10 0877795304, ISBN-13 978-0877795308, is a worthwhile contender, and it even has words that Random House Webster’s Pocket American Dictionary lacks. But Merriam-Webster’s offers fewer meanings, such as two instead of seven for “romantic”!
Excerpt from Random House Webster’s Pocket American Dictionary (2008):
Excerpt from Merriam-Webster’s Pocket Dictionary (2015):
The punctuation with colons in M-W is pissing me off.
Yes, it’s printed in a very small typeface.
Yes, you need glasses.
Yes, it lacks some words (“typeface” is obviously missing).
But one cannot ask too much from a dictionary of this size. It’s a pocket edition!
This is not Random House Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary (I still own the last CD-ROM edition).
This is not Random House Webster’s College Dictionary (I own its last “red” edition, 2000).
And yet, when a word is included, its major meanings are clearly and succinctly explained.
It’s so sad that Random House Reference had to die. Merriam-Webster’s large dictionaries have abysmal definitions. Random House Webster’s were the best!
Now, Merriam-Webster’s Pocket Dictionary (2015), ISBN-10 0877795304, ISBN-13 978-0877795308, is a worthwhile contender, and it even has words that Random House Webster’s Pocket American Dictionary lacks. But Merriam-Webster’s offers fewer meanings, such as two instead of seven for “romantic”!
Excerpt from Random House Webster’s Pocket American Dictionary (2008):
romance n., v., -manced, -mancing.
—n. 1. a tale of heroic or marvelous exploits. 2. a colorful, fanciful quality. 3. a love affair.
—v.t. 4. too woo passionately.
Roman numerals n.pl. numbers using letters as symbols: I = 1, V = 5, X = 10, L = 50, C = 100, D = 500, M = 1,000.
romantic adj 1. of romance. 2. impractical or unrealistic. 3. imbued with idealism. 4. preoccupied with love. 5. passionate; fervent. 6. of a style of art: stressing imagination and emotion.
—n. 7. a romantic person.
Excerpt from Merriam-Webster’s Pocket Dictionary (2015):
romance n 1 : medieval tale of knightly adventure 2 : love story 3 : love affair ~ vb -manced; -mancing 1 : have romantic fancies 2 : have a love affair with — romancer n
romantic adj 1 : visionary or imaginative 2 : appealing to one’s emotions — romantically adv
The punctuation with colons in M-W is pissing me off.
Displaying 1 of 1 review