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. A written symbol or character representing a speech sound and being a component of an alphabet. b. A written symbol or character used in the graphemic representation of a word, such as the h in Thames. See Note at Thames. 2. A written or printed communication directed to a person or organization. 3. often letters A certified document granting rights to its bearer. 4. Literal meaning: had to adhere to the letter of the law. 5. letters (used with a sing. verb) a. Literary culture; belles-lettres. b. Learning or knowledge, especially of literature. c. Literature or writing as a profession. 6. Printing a. A piece of type that prints a single character. b. A specific style of type. c. The characters in one style of type. 7. An emblem in the shape of the initial of a school awarded for outstanding performance, especially in varsity athletics. v. let·tered, let·ter·ing, let·ters v.tr. 1. To write letters on: lettered the paper. 2. To write in letters: lettered our name on the mailbox. v.intr. Idiom: 1. To write or form letters. 2. To earn a school letter, as for outstanding athletic achievement: She lettered in three collegiate sports. to the letter To the last detail; exactly: followed instructions to the letter. [Middle English, from Old French lettre, from Latin littera, perhaps from Etruscan, from Greek diphtherā, hide, leather, writing surface.] letter·er n. Synonyms: letter, epistle, memorandum, missive, note These nouns denote a written communication directed to another: received a letter of complaint; the Epistles of the New Testament; a memorandum outlining the attendance policy; a missive of condolence; a thank-you note. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
