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
la·ser  (lāzər)
Share:
Tweet n. 1. a. Any of several devices that emit highly amplified and coherent radiation of one or more discrete wavelengths. One of the most common lasers makes use of atoms in a metastable energy state, which, as they decay to a lower energy level, stimulate others to decay, resulting in a cascade of emitted radiation. b. A beam of radiation emitted by a laser. 2. Sports A ball or puck sent in a straight line at high speed: shot a laser into the upper right corner of the goal. [l(ight) a(mplification by) s(timulated) e(mission of) r(adiation).]  (click for a larger image) lasertop:lasers using argon, organic dye, and a crystal made of neodymuim and YAG as different media for exciting atoms bottom:a ruby laser  (click for a larger image) laser |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
