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THIRD EDITION
^febstersll
New College
Dictionary
THIRD EDITION
The Webster’s You Need!
Webster's II New College Dictionary has been
completely revised, including the latest words
in the news, from Amber Alert and blog to
SARS and WiFi.
Webster's II New College Dictionary; Third Edi¬
tion, includes:
Biographical Entries: over 8,000 people
from all over the world and every historical
era.
Geographical Entries: over 6,000 countries,
cities, rivers, mountains, and other geographi¬
cal areas and features, including the most
recent political changes and census counts.
Abbreviations: a listing of thousands of com¬
mon abbreviations and their meanings.
Charts and Tables: handy information on the
major alphabets and calendars, books of the
Bible, currency (including the euro), chemical
elements, metric conversions, and more.
Style Guide: an authoritative review of the
rules of capitalization, punctuation, and the
use of italics, including numerous examples.
New College Dictionary
THIRD EDITION
Houghton Mifflin
Boston • New York
Words are included in this Dictionary on the basis of their usage. Words that are
known to have current trademark registrations are shown with an initial capital
and are also identified as trademarks. No investigation has been made of common-
law trademark rights in any word, because such investigation is impracticable.
The inclusion of any word in this Dictionary is not, however, an expression of the
Publisher’s opinion as to whether or not it is subject to proprietary rights. Indeed,
no definition in this Dictionary is to be regarded as affecting the validity of any
trademark.
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any
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Visit our website: www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com
ISBN-13: 978-0-618-39601-6
ISBN-10: 0-618-39601-2
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Webster’s II new college dictionary. - 3rd ed.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-618-39601-2
1. English language—Dictionaries. I. Title: Webster’s two new
college dictionary. II. Title: Webster’s 2 new college dictionary.
PE1628.W55164 2005
423—dc22
2003057079
Manufactured in the United States of America
Illustration credits: Academy Artworks; Alan Witschonke; Carlyn Iverson;
Cecile Duray-Bito; Chris Costello; Elizabeth Morales; Gail Piazza; Jerry Malone;
Laurel Cook Lhowe; Library of Congress; Mapping Specialists, Ltd.;
Office of Information, Dept, of the Navy, Washington, DC; Precision Graphics;
Tech-Graphics
Contents
Editorial and Production Staff
iv
Preface v
Elements of the Dictionary
vi
Explanatory Notes viii
Abbreviations Used in this Dictionary xv
Pronunciation Guide xvi
Webster's II New College Dictionary 1
Abbreviations 1318
Biographical Entries 1332
Geographical Entries 1404
Foreign Words & Phrases 1475
Four-Year Colleges & Universities 1479
Two-Year Public Colleges & Universities 1492
A Concise Guide to Style 1504
Forms of Address 1509
Charts and Tables
Alphabet 33
Books of the Bible 109
Calendar 161
Currency 284
Geologic Time 477
Roman Numerals 984
Measurement 1514
Periodic Table of the Elements 1516
Signs and Symbols 1518
Editorial and Production Staff
Vice President, Publisher of Dictionaries
Margery S. Berube
Vice President, Vice President,
Executive Editor Managing Editor
Joseph P. Pickett Christopher Leonesio
Database Production Supervisor
Senior Editor, Project Director
Christopher Granniss
Steven R. Kleinedler
Art and Production Supervisor
Editor
Margaret Anne Miles
Susan I. Spitz
Production and Manufacturing
Associate Editors
Supervisor
Uchenna C. Ikonne
James W. Mitchell
Patrick Taylor
Editorial Production Associate
Consulting Editors
Brianne M. Lutfy
Matthew Heidenry
Kirsten Patey Hurd
Text Design
David R. Pritchard
Joyce Weston
Vali Tamm
Administrative Coordinator
Editorial Assistance
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Hiu Ho
Pre-Press Development
Ashley N. O’Bryan
Digicon Imaging, Inc.
Thomas Technology Solutions
Proofreaders
Kathryn Blatt, Julia Penelope,
Jacquelyn Pope, Deborah M. Posner
Previous Contributors: Beth Anderson, Gretchen B. Armacost, Caroline L. Becker, James J. Boyle,
Elaine H. Brix, Susan S. Chicoski, Pamela B. DeVinne, Kaethe Ellis, Paul G. Evenson, Benjamin
W. Fortson, Diane N. Fredrick, Dolores R. Harris, Ernest S. Hildebrand, Jr., Rhonda L. Holmes,
Ann-Marie Imbornoni, Katherine M. Isaacs, David A. Jost, Rachel Lucas, Lawrence O. Masland,
Margaret M. May, Ann Marie Menting, Kerry W. Metz, Ramona Michaelis, Trudy Nelson,
Joseph M. Patwell, Martha F. Phelps, Rosemary Previte, Beth Gately Rowen, Hanna Schonthal,
Marion Severynse, So-Chung Shinn, Anne H. Soukhanov
Preface
Webster’s II New College Dictionary,
explaining the processes by which words
Third Edition, reflects the expansive changes
change in form or meaning over the
to the vocabulary of the English language course of time.
that have taken place in the ten years since
• ABBREVIATIONS for thousands of words and
the publication of the previous edition. In the phrases, including hundreds of new terms
transition from the twentieth century to the such as CABG (coronary artery bypass
twenty-first, thousands of new words and graft) and DHS (Department of Home¬
new senses of existing words have prompted land Security).
many changes to this Dictionary. Following • BIOGRAPHICAL ENTRIES for men and women
the tradition of the previous editions and of from all walks of life, including hundreds
Noah Webster himself, we’re proud to pres¬ of recent politicians, athletes, scientists,
ent the most up-to-date lexicon possible. writers, and entertainers, such as Fance
This edition includes many new computer Armstrong, George W. Bush, and Fouise
and Internet terms along with newly coined Gluck. Names of fictional and mythologi¬
words in science, politics, business, and the cal figures are included in the general
arts, as well as numerous biographical entries vocabulary section.
for newly prominent people. The editors con¬
• GEOGRAPHICAL ENTRIES for physical enti¬
sulted with an extensive array of experts to
ties—such as lakes, mountains, and
revise definitions of words in fast-moving
rivers—and for historical and modern
areas, such as physics, immunology, and political entities, including East Timor and
pharmacology. From computers (blog,WiFi) Serbia and Montenegro, with current pop¬
to culinary tastes (chai, empanada, fusilli) to ulation figures.
our solar system (coronal mass ejection, • A selected list of
foreign words and
Kuiper belt), Webster’s II New College PHRASES along with English translations.
Dictionary, Third Edition, provides the latest • Separate lists of
four-year and two-year
vocabulary defined clearly and accurately. COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES in the United
Fike the previous editions, Webster’s II States.
New College Dictionary, Third Edition, is • A thorough TABLE OF MEASUREMENT includ¬
designed for ease of use. Information is ing conversions between the US customary
organized into separate sections, as outlined and metric systems and an explanation of
below. metric prefixes.
• A GENERAL VOCABULARY section of words • An updated and current periodic table of
fully defined in clear, precise language. ELEMENTS.
Specific usage notes are given within • A STYLE GUIDE that clearly explains stan¬
entries, and the examples of many words dard capitalization and punctuation rules.
used in context give additional guidance • Commonly used FORMS OF ADDRESS for use
on usage. Hundreds of synonym para¬ in correspondence.
graphs provide examples of words in con¬ With its complete lexicon and handy
text, illustrating nuances of different word research sections, Webster’s II New College
choices. Hundreds of line drawings sup¬ Dictionary, Third Edition will meet the needs
plement the definitions with visual infor¬ of families and students seeking an up-to-
mation. Words characteristic of specific date dictionary of American English. The edi¬
areas of the United States are indicated tors encourage you to use your Dictionary
with a regional label and a dagger next to actively, and we hope that you will find the
the entry word. Word Histories supple¬ expansion of your vocabulary to be a rich
ment basic etymological information, and rewarding experience.
Elements of the Dictionary
MAIN ENTRY WORD caf»feinel?/so caMein (ka-fen', kaf'en', kaf'e-m) n. [G. Kaffein <
' Kaffee, coffee < Fr. cafe, —see cafe.] A bitter white alkaloid,
C8H10N4O2-H2O, found in coffee, tea, and cola nuts and used as
a stimulant and diuretic.
ceMar|(sel'ar)|n. [ME celer < OFr. < LLat. cellarium, pantry < Lat.
PRONUNCIATION
cella, storeroom.] 1. A room for storage, usu. below ground or be¬
neath a building. 2a. A cool, dark room for storing wines, b. A stock
of wines. 3. Informal. The lowest level, esp. in the relative standing
of athletic teams. —vt.\-lared, -lading, -lars|To store in a cellar.
INFLECTED FORMS
cem»e*ter*y (sem'i-ter'e) n., pi. -ies [ME cimiterie < Med. Lat.
cimiterium < LLat. coemeterium < Gk. koimeterion < koiman, to
put to sleep.] A place for burying the dead : graveyard.
certain (sur'tn) adj. [ME < OFr. < VLat. *certanus < Lat. certus,
p.part. of cernere, to determine.] 1. Definite : fixed <a certain sum
of money for food>[T1Sure to happen : inevitable <certain disas¬
SENSE NUMBER
ter 3. Established beyond question or doubt. 4. Unfailing : sure <a
certain cure> 5.1 Confident: assured] 6a. Not specified or named but
DEFINITION
assumed to be known <a certain individual b. Named but not fa¬
miliar or well-known <a certain Ms. Doe> 7. Appreciable but un-
liniiai WA VV vil JLV11V/ T* ~ - —- r -----—
specified <a certain degree> <a certain charm>[ usage: Although
USAGE NOTE some consider certain to be an absolute term, it may often be quali
fied by an adverb, as in Nothing is more certain than death and
taxes. —pron. An indefinite but limited number : some -for cer¬
tain. Without (floouubbtt:: ssuurreellyy.. ——cceerr'ttaaiinndlyy aaadvv.:
VARIANT rham.n.mile nr ram«o»milel(kam'9-mil') n. [ME camomille < LLat.
cbamomilla < Lat. chamaemelon < Gk. kbamaimelon : kbamai, on
the ground + melon, apple.] 1. A plant of the genus Anthemis, esp.
A. nobilis, an aromatic plant native to Eurasia, with finely dissected
anrl wtiitp flnwprQ 1 A similar nlant of the
.
esp. M. cbamomilla.
char»ac»ter*is»tic (kar'ak-ta-ris'tik) adj. Serving to identify or set apart
.
a person or group : distinctive. —n. 1 A distinguishing attribute
SUBJECT LABEL or element. 2. \Math.\ The integral part of a logarithm as distinguished
from the mantissa <6 is the characteristic of the logarithm 6.3214.>
—char'ac»ter»is'ti»cal*lv adv.
❖ synonyms: characteristic, distinctive, individual, pecu¬
SYNONYM PARAGRAPH liar, typical, vintage adj. core meaning : serving to identify or set
apart <the zebra’s characteristic stripes> <behavior characteristic of
psvchopaths> <a characteristic remark>
char«ac*ter*ize (kar'ak-ta-riz') vt. -ized, -iz»ing, -iz»es 1. To describe the
qualities or peculiarities of <characterized that person as weak> 2.
To be a distinguishing trait or mark of <a seaport characterized by
its charm> — char'afterMz'er n. --
TABLE CROSS-REFERENCE chi' ikTi n. rGk. khiA The 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet.--Seel
1 table at alphabet. I
tchif*fo*robe (shif'a-rob', shif'rob') n. [chiffo(nier) + (ward)-
REGIONAL LABEL robe.1 Southern US. A tall piece of furniture typically having draw-
ers on one side and space for hanging clothes on the other.
chro*mi"Um (kro'me-am) n. [NLat. < Fr. chrome. —see chrome.]
SYMBOL Svmbol Cr lA lustrous, hard, steel-gray metallic element for harden-
ing steel alloys, for producing stainless steels, and for use in
corrosion-resistant decorative platings; atomic number 24; atomic
weight 51.996.
ETYMOLOGY fir.mm.<tancp (cnr^F^m-cdncM n IfMF < OFr. < Lat. circumstantia
< circumstare, to stand around : circum-, around (< Lat. circus.
circle) + stare, to stand.]| 1. A fact or condition attending an event
and having bearing on it. 2. A fact or condition that determines or
must be considered in the determining of a course of action. 3. The
sum of determining factors beyond willful control <a victim of cir-
cumstance> 4. often circumstances. Financial status or means <in
straitened circumstances> 5. Additional or accessory information :
detail. 6. Formal display : ceremony Cmarched in pomp and cir¬
cumstance through the church> —vt. -stanced, -stanching, -stant*?? Tcl
place in particular circumstances or conditions : situate —under no
IDIOMS circumstances. In no case: never. —under (or in) the circumstances. Such
being the case.
a pat a pay ar care a father ar car e pet e be I pit
PRONUNCIATION KEY oi boy ou out do took dor lure do boot th thin th this
VII Elements of the Dictionary
clamp (klamp) n. [ME < MDu. klampe.] A device for joining, grip¬
ping, supporting, or compressing structural or mechanical parts.
—vt. clamped, damping, clamps To fasten, grip, or support with or as
STYLISTIC LABEL if with a clamp. —clamp down.l Informal. To become repressive.
ART
CAPTION
SUBCAPTION
VARIANT NOUN PLURALS dep»sy«dra (klep'si-dra) n.,\pl. -dras or -drae (-dre')| [Lat. < Gk.
klepsudra : kleps-, secretly (< kleptein, to steal) + hudor, water.] An
ancient device that measured time by marking the regulated flow of
water through a small opening.
climb (kllm) v. climbed, climbing, climbs [ME climben < OE chmban.]
—vt. To move up or mount, esp. by using the hands and feet : as-
VERBAL ILLUSTRATION cendI Kclimbed a hill> —vi. 1. To rise or move up, esp. by using the
hands and feet <climbed up the telephone pole> 2. To reach a higher
status, rank, or condition. 3. To slant or slope upward <a trail climb¬
ing gradually to the peak> 4. To grow in an upward direction, as
some plants do, by twining around an object for support. —climb
down. To descend, esp. by means of the hands and feet <climbed
down the rope ladder> —n. 1. The act of climbing : ascent. 2. A
place to be climbed. —dimb'a»ble (kli'ma-bal) adj.
SYMBOL ENTRY Cm symbol for curium.
COm*mit (ka-mit') vt. -miMed, -mit’ting, -mits [ME committen < Lat.
committere : com-, together + mittere, to send.] 1. To do or per¬
form : perpetrate <.commit a felony> 2. To give over to another
care or use : entrust. 3. To place officially in confinement or cus¬
tody. 4. To put in a certain condition or form, as for future use, ref¬
erence, or preservation <commit to memory> 5. To put in a place to
be disposed of or kept safe. 6a. To pledge (oneself) to a position <a
politician who refuses to commit herself on the issues> b. To obli¬
gate or bind <was committed to attend the dinner> 7. To refer (e.g.,
UNDEFINED RUN-ON
a legislative bill) to a committee. —]<om»mit/ta«ble adj.
COn*fet*ti (kan-fet'e) pin. [Ital., pi. of confetto, candy < Med. Lat.
confectum < Lat. confectus, p.part. of conficere, to prepare. —see
confect.] (sing, in number). Small pieces or streamers of colored
paper thrown about on festive occasions.
USAGE LABEL CQpe«Stone fkop'ston') n.lvar. ofcAPSTQNET
cop»y (kop'e) n., pi. -ies [ME < OFr. copie < Med. Lat. copia < Lat.,
abundance.] 1. A reproduction or imitation of an original : dupli¬
cate. 2. A specimen or example of a printed text or picture. 3. Ma¬
terial, as a manuscript, to be set in type. 4. Suitable source material,
as for journalism Politicians make good copy.> —v. -ied, -y»ing, -ies
—vt. 1. To make a copy of. 2. To follow as a model or pattern : imi¬
tate. —vi. 1. To make a copy or reproduction. 2. To admit of being
copied.
❖ synonyms: copy, duplicate, facsimile, replica, reproduc¬
tion n. core meaning : one closely resembling another <copies of
ANTONYM
Persian mmiaturesTlonfoowil.' originalI
CROSS-REFERENCE iranes«bill (kranz'hilM n Igfranium 1
cur«few (kur'fyoo) n. [ME curfeu < OFr. cuevrefeu, cover the fire :
couvrir, to cover + feu, fire < Lat. focus, hearth.] 1. A regulation
requiring certain or all people to leave the streets or be
home at a prescribed hour. 2a. The period during which a curfew
regulation is in effect, b. The signal announcing curfew. _
■ word history: A curfew was originally a medieval regulation re
quiring that fires be put out or covered at a certain hour at night
WORD HISTORY PARAGRAPH The rule was probably instituted as a public safety measure to mini
mize the risk of a general conflagration. A bell was rung at the pre¬
scribed hour, and the word curfew has been extended to denote botf
the signal and the hour in addition to the regulation.
