`
`
`
`
`OF AMERICAN ENGLISH
`
`
`VICTORIA NEUFELDT
`
`'
`
`EditorfilChin
`
`DAVIQ B. GURALNIK
`
`Editor in Chief Emeritus
`
`
`
`Prentice Hall
`New York ° London e Toronto 0 Sydney 0 Tokyo 0 Singapore
`
` ,7 J
`
`HN-1008
`
`1
`
`HN-1008
`
`

`

`
`
`Dedicated
`to David B. Gumlnik
`
`lexicographica! mentor
`andfiiend
`
`Copyright © 1991, 1988 by
`Simon & Schuster, Inc.
`All rights reserved
`'
`including the right of reproduction
`in whole or in part in any form
`
`This editiOn is a major revision of Webster’s New World Dictionary®,
`Second College Edition, copyright© 1986, 1984, 1982, 1980, 1979,
`1978, 1976, 1974, 1972, 1970 by‘ Simon & Schoster, Inc.
`Fourth printing, with corrections, 1989.
`
`"Ill"11‘
`
`Prentice Hall General Reference 1
`15 Columbus Circle
`New York, NY 10023
`
`-
`
`A Webster’s New WorldTM Book
`
`Websrer’s New World”, Prentice Hall, and coiophons are
`registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
`
`Dictionary Editorial Offices: New World
`Dictionaries, 850 Euclid Avenue,
`Cleveland, Ohio 44114
`'
`
`Database design and creation by Lexi-Comp, Inc, Hudson, Ohio.
`The typefaces used are Century Schoolbook and Helvetica.
`Manufactured in the United States of America
`
`10
`
`11
`
`12
`
`13
`
`14
`
`15
`
`92 93 94 95_ 96
`
`Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
`Webster’s New World dictionary'of American English / Victoria
`Neufeldt, editor in chief; David B. Guralnik, editor in chief emeritus.
`—3rd college ed.
`p.
`cm.
`Leatherbound lSBN 0—13—949298-4
`Leaflierkraft ISBN 0-13-949314-X
`Thumb~indexed ISBN 013-947169-3
`
`Plain-edged ISBN 0-13-949280-1
`l.‘English language—Dictionaries. 2. Americanisms—Diclionaries.
`I. Neufeldt, Victoria. 11. Guralnik, David Bernard.
`PE1628.W5633
`1991
`91-17874
`423—~dc20
`CIP
`
`2
`
`

`

`
`
`b-ver'SlD" ('ab vur'shen, sb-; when) 11. [[LL obversio‘ <_ L ob’oersus:
`. rse
`'
`$68 131-3021
`1 the act of obverting 2 Logic the act of inferring the
`“Sign (ab vart’, aha) vi.
`l[L oboertere: see cavalier] 1 to turn so
`that the main surface or a different surface is shown 2 Logic to state
`- the obverse of (a proposition)
`_
`.
`_
`léber-Ele (sb've av) Vt. ~at’led, ~at’lng i< LL obowtus, pp. of obmare,
`o
`revent < obvius: see foil] to do away with or prevent by effective
`eisures; make unnecessary _ob’vi|a’lion n.
`lhb'Vl'ous (ab’vé as) adji.
`I[L chains, in the way, lying open: see one 8:
`IAil
`1 easy to see or understand; plain; evident 2 [Obs] being in
`‘”
`5 the way —5YN, EVEDENT —ob’vi-ouslly adv. fob’vi-ous-ness n.
`ightvO-lu‘le (ab’va lo'ot') 309'.
`IlL obvolutus, pp. of obuoluere, to wrap
`“'
`round < 013— (see one) + ooluere, to roll: see WALK ll having overlap-
`lng margins: said of leaves or petals Also oh’vo-lu’llve —ob'vo»lu’-
`n.
`bbfillaliden (op’va'l’den) canton of central Switzerland: 189 sq, mi.
`’
`491 sq. km): pon- 26.000
`$5. prcfiI 013-: used before 5 [occur]
`$19 overcharge .
`.
`_
`.
`mg; [L opera wrote] in the work cited
`QC 1 Officer Commanding 2 Old Catholic
`or 00 ocean
`ri-na (ak’a re’na) n. [[It, dim. of am, a goose < LL truce, a goose
`g < *auica, hack-form. < L ooicula, dim. of gels, bird): from its fan—
`1ed resemblance in shape] a small, simple wind instrument shaped
`g lie 3 sweet potato, with finger holes and a mouthpiece: it produces
`soft, hollow tones
`"Ca-say (ll hoof, Seas (shop) $34964?" playwright
`,ccam,Wi iamo see
`CKHAM,
`1 iamo
`'c-cam’s razor (fik’amz) [after prec., who used it often in analyzing
`rohlcmsll a philosophical or scientific principle according to which
`a best explanation of an event is the one that is the simplest, using
`9 fewest assumptions or hypgtheses A151? sp.'0ck’ham‘s razor
`' cas 1 occasion 2 occasions
`occasions y
`ca-sion (a ka’ahon; often 6 ka’—) n. IlME occasioun < OFr < L
`rmrio, accidental opportunity, fit time < occasus, pp. of occiderc, to
`ll < ob- (see 013-) + coders, to fall: see casa'l
`1 a favorable time or
`nclure; opportunity 2 a fact, event, or state of affairs that makes
`msthing else possible [a chance meeting was the occasion of the
`renewal of their friendship] 3 a) a happening; occurrence b) the
`’ me at which something happens; particular time [on the occasion
`f our last meeting] 4 a special time or event, suitable for celebra-
`I)" 5 need arising from circumstances 6 [pl] a) [Obs] needs;
`quircments b) [Archaic] affairs; business —vf.- to be the occasion
`i: give occasion to; cause —on occasion once in a while; some
`mes; occasionally «rise to the occasion to do whatever suddenly
`ecomes necessary; meet an emergency itake (the) occasion to use
`0 up ortunity (to do somethin )
`_
`ca-slbnlal (a ka’zha nol; oftengo ka’~) adj.
`1 occurring on a par-
`solar occasion 2 of or for a special occasion {occasional verse] 3
`6ng only on special occasions 4 of irregular occurrence; happenn
`14 now and then;
`infrequent 5 designating chairs,
`tables, etc.
`tended for occasional or auxiliary use 6 being an occasroN (n. 2)
`CE‘fSInn-aI-ism (-nal iz‘em) rr. in post—Cartesian philosophy, the
`eclnne that, since mind and matter cannot interact, the interven-
`movements of the od
`{id nl God is required) to synchronize corresponding acts of mind
`Eli‘sSIon-allly (a ka’zhan :1 s; often 6») adv. now and them-some
`; on occasion
`dent (ék'sa dent, ~dent’) n. [OFr < L occldens direction of the
`llmg 31"} < pm. of occidere, to fall: see oocnsroull [Old Poet.]“the
`ES
`egérglo'l the part of the world west of Asia, esp. Europe and the
`genial (ak'sa dent’l) adj.
`lME occidentalefl
`1
`[01d Poet]
`n 6er 2 [0‘] 0f the Qccident, its people, or thelr culture; Western
`,
`.
`glen
`lfcutSdlillgti] a native of the Occrdent, or a member of a people
`Ciden-taplsm (fik'sa dent"l iz’am) n. the character, culture, cus-
`Etc- Ollhe Occident aOC’ci-den’taI-ist n.
`."'tal'IZE (42;) vs, vi. -ized', -lz’ing to make or become Occi-
`r, culture, customs, etc.
`_
`JEci
`'t
`sip"i tel, —it’l) adjf'. [[ML occipitolis ll of the occiput or
`,9. aljh a1 bone —n. QCCIFITAL BONE —oc-c|p’l|-ialllv adv.
`,illugne the bone that forms the back part of the skull: see
`I allljfiirm Pul’, -pat) 31., pl. 0c-cip’li-la (esip‘i to) or —puts' llME
`,llrad
`< 013- (seeps) + caput, HEAD] the back part of the skull
`'|
`_
`“513,29 ZIWd’. 5-) W. ~clud’|ed, -clucl’ing {[L occludere < ob- (see
`__ Maven? ire. t0 CLOSE?”
`1 to close, shut, or block (a passage) 2
`We 45 e passage of; shut in or out 3 to conceal, hide, or
`em. to retain or absorb (a gas, liquid, or solid) uw'.
`eet With the cusps fitting close together: said of the
`r teeth —oc-clud’ent adj.
`nt Meteorol. the front formed when a warm front is
`“from a cold front and an air mass is forced aloft up the
`.550"
`“T lillliisfront surface
`“try thla tlflUP'zban) n.
`1 an occluding or being occluded 2
`1.. Whiche h‘ttlng together of the upper and lower teeth, or the
`.
`t 388 fit together when the jaws are closed 3 Meteorol.
`Phonet. the complete closing of the air passages
`f a stop soc-clu’sive any:
`’; also a’kult'; for o. a kult’) adj.
`[[L occultus,
`culere, to cover over < 017- (see on») + actors, to
`hidden; concealed 2 secret; esoteric 3 beyond
`rs andmg; mysterious 4 designating or of certain
`
`-
`
`
`
`.
`
`
`obversion I ocean sunfish
`937
`alleged mystic arts, such as magic, alchemy, astrology, etc. —vt‘., vi.
`1 to hide or become hidden from view 2 Astron, to hide by occulta-
`tion ilhe occult the occult arts or studies koc-cull’fly adv. foc-
`coll’ness n.
`‘
`
`>
`
`_
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`oc-cul-ta-tion (ak‘ul ta’sban) n. IlME occultacioun < L occultatio, a
`hiding < occultus: see prec.]] 1 the state of becoming hidden or of
`disappearing from View 2 Astron, the disappearance of a celestial
`body behind a closer, apparently larger celestial body, as when a star
`or planet is hidden by the moon
`occulting light an intermittent light in a lighthouse, lightship, em,
`darkness
`characterized by a period of light that equals or exceeds the period of
`occult-ism (o kult’iz’am) n.
`1 belief in occult forces and powers 2
`preoccupation with occult arts woe-cull’isl n.
`1 a) an
`oc-cu-panlcy (Sik’yo‘o pan as, eye-) 11., pl -cies [[< £01.]
`occupying; a taking or keeping in possession b) the period during
`which a house, etc. is occupied 2 the condition of being occupied 3
`Law the taking possession of a previously unowned object, thus
`establishing ownership
`oc-cu-pant (a'k’yo—u pant, eye-J n. [< L acct/pans, prp. of occupare,
`OCCUPY]]
`1 a person who occupies a house, post, etc 2 a person who
`acquires title to anything by occupancy
`1am:
`oc-cu-pa-tion (alr’ycTo pa’shon,,-ye-) n. [[OFr < L occupatiol]
`occupying or being occupied; specifi, the seizure and control of a '
`country or area by military forces 2 that which chiefly engages one’s
`time; (one’s) trade, profession, or business Eoc'cu-pa’tionlal adji. —
`I
`oc’cu-pa’tion-alflg adv.
`'
`voccupational
`cease a disease commonly acquired by people in a
`particular occupation, as silicosis among miners
`fioccupaliunal therapy therapy by means of work, as arts and
`crafts, designed to divert the mind, to correct a particular physical
`defect. or to equip a handicapped patient with new job skills
`oc-culpy (ak’ycTo pi’, eye-J vi. ~pled’, -py’ing [lME occupien < DFr
`occuper < L compare, to take possession of, possess < ob— (see one)
`+ capers, to seize: see HAVEJ]
`‘l to take possession of by settlement
`or seizure 2 to hold possession of by tenure; specif., a) to dwell in b)
`to hold (a position or office) 3 to take up or fill up (space, time, etc.)
`4 to employ, busy, or engage (oneself, one’s attention, mind, etc.) —
`oc’cu-pi’ler n.
`occur (a kar’) Vi. -curred’, -cur’ring [lL accurrere, to run, come up to,
`meet < obs (see 013-) + curre‘re, to run; see CURRENT]
`1 to be found;
`exist [fish occur in most waters] 2 to present itself; come to mind
`[an idea occurred to him] 3 to take place; happen —SYN. HAPPEN
`oc-cur-rence (e kur’ans) n.
`1 the act or fact of occurring 2 some?
`thing that occurs; event; incident —-oc-cur’rent any:
`SYN.~—occurrence is the general word for anything that happens or takes
`place [an unforeseen occurrence]; an event is an occurrence of relative
`significance, especially one growing out of earlier happenings or conditions
`[the events that followed the surrender]; an incident is an occurrence of
`relatively minor significance, often one connected with a more important
`event [the award was just another incident in his career]: an episode is a
`distinct event that is complete in itself but forms part of a larger event or is
`one ofa series ofevents [an episode of his childhood]; a circumstance is an
`event that is either incidental to, or a determining factor of, another event
`[the Circumstances surrounding my decision]
`000 Office of Civil Defense
`olcean (o’shan) n. [ME occean <- OFr < L Oceanus < Gr Cheerios,
`the outer sea (in contrast to the Mediterranean), orig. thought of as
`a great river flowing around the earth]
`1
`the great body of salt
`water that covers approximately 71% of the surface of the earth 2
`any of its four principal geographical divisions: the Atlantic, Pacific,
`Indian, or Arctic Ocean 3 any great expense or quantity
`uolcean-er-ilum (o‘she ner’é am) 11., pl. -i|ums Ur -ri|a (o’sho ner’é e)
`lprec. + (AQU)ARIUM ll a large salt-water aquarium for ocean fish and
`animals
`-
`fiolcean‘aul (o’sha not’) n. ll< OCEAN + (AQUA)NAU'I‘I| AQUANAUT
`olcean-qoling {5’shon go’iij) adj. of, or made for, travel on the ocean
`Olce-an‘IIa (o'shs an’é a) islands in the Pacific, including Melanesia,
`Micronesia, & Polynesia (incl. New Zealand) & sometimes, Aus—
`tralia, & the Malay Archipelago Also O’ce-an’i-ca (7i kc) —0’ce‘an’-
`i-an arr/Z, n.
`.
`olcelan-Ic (s'she an’ik) adj.
`1 of, living in, or produced by the ocean
`2 like the ocean; vast 3 designating or of the ecological Zone
`(oceanic ZOI‘IE) beyond the neritic zone in the ocean
`.
`Olcela-nid (o se’e nid’) n, pl. Olcelan’liides’ (-an’i déz') llGr Okeanis
`(gen. Okeonidosfl Gr. Myth, anyiof three thousand ocean nymphs,
`daughters of Oceanus and Tethys
`-
`_
`‘
`clcelan-og-ra-phy (fi’sha nég’re fé, o'sihe 3-) n. l< Ger oceanographic
`< Fr Oceanographic: see OCEAN & casenvll the study of the environ»
`ment in the oceans,
`including the waters. depths, beds, animals,
`plants, etc. uo’lcelan-og’ra-pher o. molcelanlo’graph’ic {-no’graf’ik)
`or o’lcelanlograph’li‘cal adj.
`nolcelan-ol-olg-y («na‘l’e jé) n. locum + 70. + -Loovj] 1 the study of
`the sea in all its aspects, including oceanography, geophysical phe—
`nomena, undersea exploration, economic and military uses, etc. 2
`ocemocaasnv —o1ce]an-ol’lo-gist o.
`-
`Olcean-side (o’shan sid’) [[descriptivejl city in‘SW Calif, near San
`Diego: pop. 77,000
`ocean sunfish any of a family (Molidae, order Tetraodontiformes)
`of marine bony fishes with an abruptly truncated body; esp; any of a
`large, sluggish species (Mala mola)
`1207)]; oil, out; up,
`look,
`at, ate, ca'z';
`ten, éve;
`is,
`ice; g6, him,
`far; a for unstressed vowels, as a image, u in focus;
`’ as in Latin
`(la "11); chin; she; zh as in azure (azh’ar); thin, the; I) as in ring (rig)
`In etymologies: * = unattested; < : derived from: > = from which
`a = Americanism
`See inside front and back covers
`
`3
`
`