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
adj. Of or relating to Poland, the Poles, their language, or their culture. n. The Slavic language of the Poles. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
v. pol·ished, pol·ish·ing, pol·ish·es v.tr. 1. To make smooth and shiny by rubbing or chemical action. 2. To remove the outer layers from (grains of rice) by rotation in drums. 3. To refine or remove flaws from; perfect or complete: polish one's piano technique; polish up the lyrics. v.intr. To become smooth or shiny by being rubbed: The table polishes up nicely. n. Phrasal Verb: 1. Smoothness or shininess of surface or finish. 2. A substance containing chemical agents or abrasive particles and applied to smooth or shine a surface: shoe polish. 3. The act or process of polishing: gave the lamp a polish. 4. Elegance of style or manners; refinement. polish off Informal To finish or dispose of quickly and easily. [Middle English polisshen, from Old French polir, poliss-, from Latin polīre; see pel-5 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] polish·er n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
