The Wonderful Dictionary
In grad school I lived with two Ph.D. Students in English. We had a few dictionaries in the household, but we referred to the American Heritage simply as The Wonderful Dictionary. The page layout and the pictures were nice, but it was the work itself that earned the sobriquet. Definitions are refreshingly clear and finely-drawn. Distinctions among variants come across crisply. The small paragraphs on usage are downright fun to read. And ah! the paragraphs on regionalisms! Wheee! (Yes, I’m a long-standing word nerd, and if that designation applies to you at all, you *need* this dictionary). And perhaps most crucial is the appendix of (proto-) Indo-European Roots. We who love dictionaries - especially print editions - delight in wandering through them; we ricochet along, our eyes caught by alluring words as we look up something else, catching a synonym that leads us into a random association. This Appendix turbocharges that experience. When we see those nonsensical bold-face syllables at the end of a definition, we know The Wonderful Dictionary will take us to a hidden origin that has seeded words - sometimes dozens of them - across time and space, opening linguistic relationships that we never imagined. The American Heritage Dictionary glitters and sparks. It lets us hold the language in our hands like a gem, flashing with a sense of almost spatial dimensionality. It continues to provide the most learning and the most fun I’ve ever had with a dictionary.
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Since 6 years no update.
Spent huge pennies, content ok but App is upsetting and disgusting. Feeling behind cheated
Fabulous dictionary
I’m retired now but used the AHD for work for many years. Still opening it (the app) frequently.
Not regular updates of database and app..
It’s ashamed that as this app was purchased spending a considerable amount of money, app must be updated and improved on regular basis because it’s said that it is premium app. Last update was years far away.
Great Dictionary, Cartoonish Interface
The best dictionary for American English, with word origins, and a large vocabulary. This particular app interface is a bit cartoonish, as if it were designed for kids. It could be improved.
