HOW TO USE THE DICTIONARY
To look up an entry in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, use the search window above. For best results, after typing in the word, click on the “Search” button instead of using the “enter” key.
Some compound words (like bus rapid transit, dog whistle, or identity theft) don’t appear on the drop-down list when you type them in the search bar. For best results with compound words, place a quotation mark before the compound word in the search window.
THE USAGE PANEL
The Usage Panel is a group of nearly 200 prominent scholars, creative writers, journalists, diplomats, and others in occupations requiring mastery of language. Annual surveys have gauged the acceptability of particular usages and grammatical constructions.
AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY APP
The new American Heritage Dictionary app is now available for iOS and Android.
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY BLOG
The articles in our blog examine new words, revised definitions, interesting images from the fifth edition, discussions of usage, and more.
INTERESTED IN DICTIONARIES?
Check out the Dictionary Society of North America at http://www.dictionarysociety.com
n. 1. a. The act of close or careful observing or listening: You'll learn more if you pay attention in class. b. The ability or power to keep the mind on something; the ability to concentrate: We turned our attention to the poem's last stanza. c. Notice or observation: The billboard caught our attention. 2. The act of dealing with something or someone; treatment: This injury requires immediate medical attention. 3. attentions a. Acts of interest or interference: "men who wanted ... freedom from censorship and the attentions of the police" (John Kenneth Galbraith). b. Acts of consideration or courtesy, especially in an effort to win someone's affection or gain sexual favors: "She was almost giddy with disbelief at the unexpected attentions of a handsome, well-spoken, obviously professional man" (Rob Kantner). 4. A military posture, with the body erect, eyes to the front, arms at the sides, and heels together. interj. Used as a command to assume an erect military posture. [Middle English attencioun, from Latin attentiō, attentiōn-, from attentus, past participle of attendere, to heed; see ATTEND.] at·tention·al adj. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
