Reference

The much-anticipated Fifth Edition of The American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language is the premier resource about words for people who seek to know more and find fresh perspectives. Exhaustively researched and thoroughly revised, the Fifth Edition contains 10,000 new words and senses, over 4,000 dazzling new full-color images, and authoritative, up-to-date guidance on usage from the celebrated American Heritage(R) Usage Panel.

In keeping with the American Heritage tradition of cutting-edge research, the Fifth Edition represents the work of a dedicated team of experts, scholars, and contributors. Thousands of definitions have been revised in rapidly changing fields such as astronomy and biology, geographical entries and maps have been completely updated, and the dictionary's signature feature notes on word history, synonymy, and language variation have been enhanced and improved.

Trustworthy advice on controversies and conundrums in English usage is provided by the American Heritage Usage Panel, a group of 200 prominent users of the language. Under the leadership of Steven Pinker, preeminent researcher on language and the mind, the Panel passes judgment on both new and longstanding usage problems. No other dictionary offers such discerning and helpful guidance on issues of usage, grammar, and style.

Word meanings are made easier to understand with thousands of new quotations from classic and contemporary writers. Etymologies explaining word origins and development have been newly created or revised to reflect the very latest scholarship. Many words are traced back to their roots in prehistory through two unique appendixes showing word roots in ancient Indo-European and Semitic.
Reliable, enlightening, and visually stunning, the Fifth Edition of The American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language gives you the opportunity to make your mark in the best possible way.

From the editors of America's favorite dictionary comes the definitive reference for meeting today's challenging communication demands. Remarkably easy to use and completely up-to-date, The American Heritage Thesaurus is an essential resource for finding the perfect word, enhancing your mastery of the English language, and expressing yourself with precision and efficiency. No other thesaurus on the market today offers a more superlative selection of synonyms, concise definitions, easy-to-follow cross-references, and depth of meaning for the modern-day user.

- More than 20,000 main entries and 150,000 synonyms
- A-to-Z dictionary format that eliminates lengthy index and appendix
- Comprehensive list of synonyms grouped by clear definitions--avoids the confusing hodgepodge of obscure and distantly related terms
- Cross-references among closely related entries to insure precision
- Thousands of completely updated slang and informal terms
- Pertinent quotations and examples that convey nuances in meaning among the most basic and important synonyms

An indispensable addition to the American Heritage family of language guides, destined to become a classic, The American Heritage Thesaurus is a book no home, school, or office should be without.

The American Heritage(R) Essential Student Thesaurus, Fourth Edition, is an at-a-glance writing aid and vocabulary builder. Drawing on revisions made for the fifth edition of its renowned companion The American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, this thesaurus presents more than 300 entries and 1,200 synonyms in a clear A-to-Z format. With paragraph-style writing to help readers differentiate synonyms, this book is ideal for students (ages 12 and up) and English language learners. An example sentence or quotation illustrates every synonym. Many entries go into greater detail, explaining nuances that distinguish related words. The quotations show synonyms in literary contexts, a feature that has been expanded for this edition. New quotations from contemporary usage include public figures such as Barack Obama, acclaimed writers such as Maya Angelou, and popular authors such as Suzanne Collins and Neil Gaiman.

American Sign Language uses simple-to-follow photographs to teach you the alphabet, numbers, and simple words and phrases. Divided into categories such as Animals and People and Pronouns, the book and accompanying flashcards show you how to use your hands to communicate. Once you've learned the alphabet, you'll build on that knowledge to learn the words for "friend" and "family." And when you how the words for "chicken" and "cat" evoke a chicken opening and closing its beak and a cat stroking its whiskers, you'll truly understand how intuitive and enjoyable learning American Sign Language can be.

Learning a new language is always a rewarding endeavor--and with American Sign Language, it's easier than ever!

Open up a whole new world of communication through ASL

You can easily learn ASL with help from The American Sign Language Phrase Book. With more than 500 phrases, this is the reference guide to everyday expressions in American Sign Language, providing a quick way for you to converse with deaf people.

Clearly illustrated with hundreds of line drawings, this book focuses on areas such as health, family, school, sports, travel, religion, time, money, food and drink, and small talk. This edition's new chapter on technology boasts 50 phrases to help you communicate about the Internet, computing, video relay, and more. There is even a chapter that gives you phrases for communicating about signing: asking people to sign slower, indicating your fingerspelling ability, and requesting help with your fledgling skills.

From asking simple questions ("How are you?") to more complex phrases ("There's no sign for that, you have to fingerspell it."), The American Sign Language Phrase Book gives you the power to communicate easily and comfortably in ASL.