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
adv. 1. From a particular thing or place: ran away from the lion; sent the children away to boarding school. 2. a. At or to a distance in space or time: We live a block away from the park. b. At or by a considerable interval: away back in the 17th century; away off on the horizon. 3. a. In a different direction; aside: glanced away. b. On the way: We want to get away early in the day. 4. In or into storage or safekeeping: put the toys away; jewels locked away in a safe. 5. Out of existence or notice: The music faded away. 6. So as to remove, separate, or eliminate: chipped the paint away; cleared away the debris. 7. From one's possession: gave the tickets away. 8. Continuously; steadily: toiled away at the project for more than a year. 9. Freely; at will: Fire away! adj. 1. Absent: The neighbors are away. 2. Distant, as in space or time: The city is miles away. The game was still a week away. 3. Played on an opponent's field or grounds: an away game. 4. In golf, having the ball lying farthest from the hole and properly playing first among competitors. 5. Baseball Out: bases loaded, with two away. [Middle English, from Old English aweg : a-, on; see A-1 + weg, way; see wegh- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
