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.

guide to the dictionary

Da·vis

(dāvĭs)

A city of north-central California west of Sacramento. A branch of the University of California (established 1905) is here.

Davis, Bette Originally Ruth Elizabeth Davis. 1908-1989.

American actress noted for the dramatic depth of her performances in films such as Dangerous (1935), All About Eve (1950), and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962).

Davis, Benjamin Oliver 1877-1970.

American cavalry officer who was the first African American general in the US Army (1940-1948). His son Benjamin Oliver Davis, Jr. (1912-2002) was the first African American general in the US Air Force (1954-1970).

Davis, Samuel George, Jr. Known as "Sammy." 1925-1990.

American entertainer whose singing, dancing, acting, and comedic talents earned him popularity as a nightclub performer and in films such as Oceans Eleven (1960).

(click for a larger image)

Sammy Davis, Jr.

Davis, Rebecca Harding Originally Rebecca Blaine Harding. 1831-1910.

American journalist and author of the novella Life in the Iron Mills (1861), a bleak depiction of the lives of industrial workers.

Davis, Stuart 1894?-1964.

American artist whose vibrant canvases were strongly influenced both by cubism and jazz.

Davis, Richard Harding 1864-1916.

American writer whose vivid coverage of the Spanish-American, Boer, and Russo-Japanese wars established him as a leading correspondent of his day.

Davis, Miles Dewey, Jr. 1926-1991.

American trumpeter noted for his warm, muted trumpet style on albums such as Kind of Blue (1959) and for his later experiments with jazz-fusion.

Davis, Jefferson 1808-1889.

American soldier and president of the Confederacy (1861-1865). He was captured by Union soldiers in 1865 and imprisoned for two years, and although he was indicted for treason in 1866, he was never prosecuted.

(click for a larger image)

Jefferson Davis

photographed between 1855 and 1865

Davis, Dwight Filley 1879-1945.

American tennis player and donor (1900) of the Davis Cup for the annual international team tennis competition.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

American Heritage Dictionary Products

HOW TO USE THE DICTIONARY

THE USAGE PANEL

AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY APP

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY BLOG

INTERESTED IN DICTIONARIES?

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

American Heritage Dictionary Products