.* Named after Noah Webster, it is a published list, in alphabetical order, of the words of the English language--explaining and defining them and providing, among other things, etymologies, illustrations and synonyms. Her dictionary is, of course, only one of many that have been published throughout the world. Dictionaries were produced in Chinese, Greek, Islamic, and other advanced, early cultures. The first modern lexicographer in the West was Nathan Bailey who published the Universal Etymological English Dictionary
in 1721 and the Dictionarium Britannicum
in 1730, to which Samuel Johnson referred as he prepared his Dictionary of the English Language
in the mid-eighteenth century. Noah Webster (1758--1843) was the first American lexicographer. A graduate of Yale, he fought in the American Revolution and, after the war, practiced law in Hartford, Connecticut--his birthplace. Webster was considered the chief American authority on the English language after he had published Grammatical Institute of the English Language
, which became a national bestseller. Webster's Compendious Dictionary
was published in 1806, and it was followed by his greatest work, The American Dictionary of the English Language
. It was published in 1828, revised by Webster before his death, and continues to be revised and abridged. Webster's legacy lasts with the adoption of his name by various publishing companies. One such company, Merriam-Webster, is the publisher of Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary
. The literary tool is much more than a list of the words of the English language. It begins with a section of explanatory notes for understanding the style, form and symbols used throughout the lexicon. There are sections on signs and symbols, on style (that is, correct forms of punctuation), on the documentation of sources, and on forms of address. Also in this particular edition are a guide to pronunciation, an explanation of the symbols regarding pronunciation, and a list of the abbreviations in the dictionary. Although frequently overlooked the section on biographical names is an invaluable reference tool. It contains the names of persons both living and deceased who made notable contributions to human society. Each entry begins with the name or title by which the person is known, and the person's last name, personal name, birth and death dates, nationality, and occupation or status follow respectively. The section on geographical places includes limited information on all the countries and their most important regions, cities, and geographical features. The publishers provide the spelling and pronunciation of the name, the nature of the feature, its location, and, in some cases, statistical data. The ninth edition also holds a list of the colleges and universities in both the United States and Canada. Each entry includes the name of the institution, its location, and the date of its founding. The most important section is, of course, the lexicon. For an inexperienced etymologist, searching for a word and interpreting its history, sense and usage may be a daunting task. Indeed there is an incredible amount of information in a small space, and the way the editors present the information may confuse some. Thus, it is imperative that the inquisitive writer refers to the explanatory sections when she comes to an entry that contains bewildering material. For example, on pages 164 and 165 of Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary
, two words are at the top of each page. Why are they there? After referring to the explanatory notes, the writer knows they are guidewords, and the entries fall alphabetically between them. In this case board is the first entry on page 164, and bolero is the last entry on page 165. The main entries are in boldface and are flush with the left margin of each column, of which there are two on each page. The entries follow one another in alphabetical order. When the word also follows a main entry, such as "Bogomil also Bogomile," the variant spelling after also occurs less frequently than the first and is not preferable. (165) But when the word or follows an entry, such as "bodhisattva or boddhisattva," either variant is acceptable. (164) Following a main entry, the pronunciation key is between a pair of reversed slashes (\\). A high-set mark (') indicates the strongest accent, and a low-set mark indicates a medium stress. For example, the pronunciation key for bock is "\'bak\" (164). Variances in pronunciation of a word may appear. An italic label indicating a part of speech follows the pronunciation. The eight traditional parts of speech and their abbreviations are noun (n), pronoun (pron), adjective (adj), verb (vb), adverb (adv), preposition (prep), conjunction (conj), and interjection (interj). The abbreviations vt (transitive verb) and vi (intransitive verb) may occur in place of the abbreviation vb. The etymology is the historical material in square brackets ([]) that precede a definition. The pre-English source is abbreviated. OE (Old English), ME (Middle English), E (modern English), F (French), G (German), L (Latin), Gk (Greek), and Scand (Scandinavian) are the most common abbreviations. Words of unknown origin are labeled as such. The date of the earliest use in English of a word is in parentheses and immediately prefaces a definition.
A boldface colon introduces a definition. Lowercase letters in boldface separate the subsenses of a word, and numerals in parentheses indicate a further division. The order of the senses is in a historical hierarchy. That does not mean the first sense gave rise to the second meaning and so forth. The entries of plants and animals include both their genera (singular nouns in capital letters) and species. A verbal illustration after a definition may employ the word in a specific context. Angle brackets enclose the illustration, and the editor replaces the word with a lightface swung dash (~). Usage notes that provide supplementary information about a word follow some definitions. Also, brief paragraphs with synonyms and statements that clarify their senses may come after a definition.
Comprehensive examples of everything I have been discussing are the entries of boast:
1boast \'bost\ n [ME boost] (14c) 1: the act or instance of
boasting: BRAG 2: a cause for pride - boast-ful \'bost-f l\ adj
- boast-ful-ly \-f-le\ adv - boast-ful-ness n
2boast vi (14c) 1: to puff oneself up in speech : speak vain
gloriously 2:archaic: GLORY, EXULT ~ vt 1: to speak of or
assert with excessive pride
2 a: to possess and often call attention to (something that is a
source of pride) ~s a new sports car b: HAVE, CONTAIN a
room ~ing no more than a desk and a chair - boast-er n
syn BOAST, BRAG, VAUNT, CROW mean to express pride in
oneself or one's accomplishments. BOAST often suggests
ostentation and exaggeration ready to boast of every trivial
success but it may imply a claiming with proper and justifiable
pride the town boasts one of the best hospitals in the area
BRAG suggests crudity and artlessness in glorifying oneself
boys bragging to each other VAUNT usu. connotes more pomp
and bombast than BOAST and less crudity or naivete than
BRAG charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up - 1Cor
13:4(AV) CROW usu. implies exultant boasting or bragging
loved to ~ about his ancestors
3boast vt [origin unknown] (1823): to shape (stone) roughly with
a broad chisel in sculpture and stonecutting as a preliminary to
finer work (164)
Those examples provide only a sampling of the information in the ninth edition. Lexicography is a comprehensive and involved science. Some entries in a lexicon may include material I did not discuss, and the information I delineated may be in a different format. I suggest that as a writer you analyze the various sections that explain the intricacies of your dictionary. Only then will the wonders of Webster's easily unfold before your eyes.
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*Frederick C. Mish, ed., Webster's
Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary (Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster Inc., 1991). 
