Thoroughly revised and updated Thousands of new words with clear; concise definitions y Hundreds of synonyms, usage notes, and word histories t> The perfect choice for school, office, or family \ THIRD EDITION ^febstersll New College Dictionary THIRD EDITION The Webster’s You Need! Webster's II New College Dictionary has been completely revised, including the latest words in the news, from Amber Alert and blog to SARS and WiFi. Webster's II New College Dictionary; Third Edi¬ tion, includes: Biographical Entries: over 8,000 people from all over the world and every historical era. Geographical Entries: over 6,000 countries, cities, rivers, mountains, and other geographi¬ cal areas and features, including the most recent political changes and census counts. Abbreviations: a listing of thousands of com¬ mon abbreviations and their meanings. Charts and Tables: handy information on the major alphabets and calendars, books of the Bible, currency (including the euro), chemical elements, metric conversions, and more. Style Guide: an authoritative review of the rules of capitalization, punctuation, and the use of italics, including numerous examples. New College Dictionary THIRD EDITION Houghton Mifflin Boston • New York Words are included in this Dictionary on the basis of their usage. Words that are known to have current trademark registrations are shown with an initial capital and are also identified as trademarks. No investigation has been made of common- law trademark rights in any word, because such investigation is impracticable. The inclusion of any word in this Dictionary is not, however, an expression of the Publisher’s opinion as to whether or not it is subject to proprietary rights. Indeed, no definition in this Dictionary is to be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without the prior written permission of Houghton Mifflin Company unless such copying is expressly permitted by federal copyright law. Address inquiries to Reference Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Company, 222 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116. Visit our website: www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com ISBN-13: 978-0-618-39601-6 ISBN-10: 0-618-39601-2 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Webster’s II new college dictionary. - 3rd ed. p. cm. ISBN 0-618-39601-2 1. English language—Dictionaries. I. Title: Webster’s two new college dictionary. II. Title: Webster’s 2 new college dictionary. PE1628.W55164 2005 423—dc22 2003057079 Manufactured in the United States of America Illustration credits: Academy Artworks; Alan Witschonke; Carlyn Iverson; Cecile Duray-Bito; Chris Costello; Elizabeth Morales; Gail Piazza; Jerry Malone; Laurel Cook Lhowe; Library of Congress; Mapping Specialists, Ltd.; Office of Information, Dept, of the Navy, Washington, DC; Precision Graphics; Tech-Graphics Contents Editorial and Production Staff iv Preface v Elements of the Dictionary vi Explanatory Notes viii Abbreviations Used in this Dictionary xv Pronunciation Guide xvi Webster's II New College Dictionary 1 Abbreviations 1318 Biographical Entries 1332 Geographical Entries 1404 Foreign Words & Phrases 1475 Four-Year Colleges & Universities 1479 Two-Year Public Colleges & Universities 1492 A Concise Guide to Style 1504 Forms of Address 1509 Charts and Tables Alphabet 33 Books of the Bible 109 Calendar 161 Currency 284 Geologic Time 477 Roman Numerals 984 Measurement 1514 Periodic Table of the Elements 1516 Signs and Symbols 1518 Editorial and Production Staff Vice President, Publisher of Dictionaries Margery S. Berube Vice President, Vice President, Executive Editor Managing Editor Joseph P. Pickett Christopher Leonesio Database Production Supervisor Senior Editor, Project Director Christopher Granniss Steven R. Kleinedler Art and Production Supervisor Editor Margaret Anne Miles Susan I. Spitz Production and Manufacturing Associate Editors Supervisor Uchenna C. Ikonne James W. Mitchell Patrick Taylor Editorial Production Associate Consulting Editors Brianne M. Lutfy Matthew Heidenry Kirsten Patey Hurd Text Design David R. Pritchard Joyce Weston Vali Tamm Administrative Coordinator Editorial Assistance Nicholas Durlacher Kevin McCarthy Hiu Ho Pre-Press Development Ashley N. O’Bryan Digicon Imaging, Inc. Thomas Technology Solutions Proofreaders Kathryn Blatt, Julia Penelope, Jacquelyn Pope, Deborah M. Posner Previous Contributors: Beth Anderson, Gretchen B. Armacost, Caroline L. Becker, James J. Boyle, Elaine H. Brix, Susan S. Chicoski, Pamela B. DeVinne, Kaethe Ellis, Paul G. Evenson, Benjamin W. Fortson, Diane N. Fredrick, Dolores R. Harris, Ernest S. Hildebrand, Jr., Rhonda L. Holmes, Ann-Marie Imbornoni, Katherine M. Isaacs, David A. Jost, Rachel Lucas, Lawrence O. Masland, Margaret M. May, Ann Marie Menting, Kerry W. Metz, Ramona Michaelis, Trudy Nelson, Joseph M. Patwell, Martha F. Phelps, Rosemary Previte, Beth Gately Rowen, Hanna Schonthal, Marion Severynse, So-Chung Shinn, Anne H. Soukhanov Preface Webster’s II New College Dictionary, explaining the processes by which words Third Edition, reflects the expansive changes change in form or meaning over the to the vocabulary of the English language course of time. that have taken place in the ten years since • ABBREVIATIONS for thousands of words and the publication of the previous edition. In the phrases, including hundreds of new terms transition from the twentieth century to the such as CABG (coronary artery bypass twenty-first, thousands of new words and graft) and DHS (Department of Home¬ new senses of existing words have prompted land Security). many changes to this Dictionary. Following • BIOGRAPHICAL ENTRIES for men and women the tradition of the previous editions and of from all walks of life, including hundreds Noah Webster himself, we’re proud to pres¬ of recent politicians, athletes, scientists, ent the most up-to-date lexicon possible. writers, and entertainers, such as Fance This edition includes many new computer Armstrong, George W. Bush, and Fouise and Internet terms along with newly coined Gluck. Names of fictional and mythologi¬ words in science, politics, business, and the cal figures are included in the general arts, as well as numerous biographical entries vocabulary section. for newly prominent people. The editors con¬ • GEOGRAPHICAL ENTRIES for physical enti¬ sulted with an extensive array of experts to ties—such as lakes, mountains, and revise definitions of words in fast-moving rivers—and for historical and modern areas, such as physics, immunology, and political entities, including East Timor and pharmacology. From computers (blog,WiFi) Serbia and Montenegro, with current pop¬ to culinary tastes (chai, empanada, fusilli) to ulation figures. our solar system (coronal mass ejection, • A selected list of foreign words and Kuiper belt), Webster’s II New College PHRASES along with English translations. Dictionary, Third Edition, provides the latest • Separate lists of four-year and two-year vocabulary defined clearly and accurately. COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES in the United Fike the previous editions, Webster’s II States. New College Dictionary, Third Edition, is • A thorough TABLE OF MEASUREMENT includ¬ designed for ease of use. Information is ing conversions between the US customary organized into separate sections, as outlined and metric systems and an explanation of below. metric prefixes. • A GENERAL VOCABULARY section of words • An updated and current periodic table of fully defined in clear, precise language. ELEMENTS. Specific usage notes are given within • A STYLE GUIDE that clearly explains stan¬ entries, and the examples of many words dard capitalization and punctuation rules. used in context give additional guidance • Commonly used FORMS OF ADDRESS for use on usage. Hundreds of synonym para¬ in correspondence. graphs provide examples of words in con¬ With its complete lexicon and handy text, illustrating nuances of different word research sections, Webster’s II New College choices. Hundreds of line drawings sup¬ Dictionary, Third Edition will meet the needs plement the definitions with visual infor¬ of families and students seeking an up-to- mation. Words characteristic of specific date dictionary of American English. The edi¬ areas of the United States are indicated tors encourage you to use your Dictionary with a regional label and a dagger next to actively, and we hope that you will find the the entry word. Word Histories supple¬ expansion of your vocabulary to be a rich ment basic etymological information, and rewarding experience. Elements of the Dictionary MAIN ENTRY WORD caf»feinel?/so caMein (ka-fen', kaf'en', kaf'e-m) n. [G. Kaffein < ' Kaffee, coffee < Fr. cafe, —see cafe.] A bitter white alkaloid, C8H10N4O2-H2O, found in coffee, tea, and cola nuts and used as a stimulant and diuretic. ceMar|(sel'ar)|n. [ME celer < OFr. < LLat. cellarium, pantry < Lat. PRONUNCIATION cella, storeroom.] 1. A room for storage, usu. below ground or be¬ neath a building. 2a. A cool, dark room for storing wines, b. A stock of wines. 3. Informal. The lowest level, esp. in the relative standing of athletic teams. —vt.\-lared, -lading, -lars|To store in a cellar. INFLECTED FORMS cem»e*ter*y (sem'i-ter'e) n., pi. -ies [ME cimiterie < Med. Lat. cimiterium < LLat. coemeterium < Gk. koimeterion < koiman, to put to sleep.] A place for burying the dead : graveyard. certain (sur'tn) adj. [ME < OFr. < VLat. *certanus < Lat. certus, p.part. of cernere, to determine.] 1. Definite : fixed <a certain sum of money for food>[T1Sure to happen : inevitable <certain disas¬ SENSE NUMBER ter 3. Established beyond question or doubt. 4. Unfailing : sure <a certain cure> 5.1 Confident: assured] 6a. Not specified or named but DEFINITION assumed to be known <a certain individual b. Named but not fa¬ miliar or well-known <a certain Ms. Doe> 7. Appreciable but un- liniiai WA VV vil JLV11V/ T* ~ - —- r -----— specified <a certain degree> <a certain charm>[ usage: Although USAGE NOTE some consider certain to be an absolute term, it may often be quali fied by an adverb, as in Nothing is more certain than death and taxes. —pron. An indefinite but limited number : some -for cer¬ tain. Without (floouubbtt:: ssuurreellyy.. ——cceerr'ttaaiinndlyy aaadvv.: VARIANT rham.n.mile nr ram«o»milel(kam'9-mil') n. [ME camomille < LLat. cbamomilla < Lat. chamaemelon < Gk. kbamaimelon : kbamai, on the ground + melon, apple.] 1. A plant of the genus Anthemis, esp. A. nobilis, an aromatic plant native to Eurasia, with finely dissected anrl wtiitp flnwprQ 1 A similar nlant of the . esp. M. cbamomilla. char»ac»ter*is»tic (kar'ak-ta-ris'tik) adj. Serving to identify or set apart . a person or group : distinctive. —n. 1 A distinguishing attribute SUBJECT LABEL or element. 2. \Math.\ The integral part of a logarithm as distinguished from the mantissa <6 is the characteristic of the logarithm 6.3214.> —char'ac»ter»is'ti»cal*lv adv. ❖ synonyms: characteristic, distinctive, individual, pecu¬ SYNONYM PARAGRAPH liar, typical, vintage adj. core meaning : serving to identify or set apart <the zebra’s characteristic stripes> <behavior characteristic of psvchopaths> <a characteristic remark> char«ac*ter*ize (kar'ak-ta-riz') vt. -ized, -iz»ing, -iz»es 1. To describe the qualities or peculiarities of <characterized that person as weak> 2. To be a distinguishing trait or mark of <a seaport characterized by its charm> — char'afterMz'er n. -- TABLE CROSS-REFERENCE chi' ikTi n. rGk. khiA The 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet.--Seel 1 table at alphabet. I tchif*fo*robe (shif'a-rob', shif'rob') n. [chiffo(nier) + (ward)- REGIONAL LABEL robe.1 Southern US. A tall piece of furniture typically having draw- ers on one side and space for hanging clothes on the other. chro*mi"Um (kro'me-am) n. [NLat. < Fr. chrome. —see chrome.] SYMBOL Svmbol Cr lA lustrous, hard, steel-gray metallic element for harden- ing steel alloys, for producing stainless steels, and for use in corrosion-resistant decorative platings; atomic number 24; atomic weight 51.996. ETYMOLOGY fir.mm.<tancp (cnr^F^m-cdncM n IfMF < OFr. < Lat. circumstantia < circumstare, to stand around : circum-, around (< Lat. circus. circle) + stare, to stand.]| 1. A fact or condition attending an event and having bearing on it. 2. A fact or condition that determines or must be considered in the determining of a course of action. 3. The sum of determining factors beyond willful control <a victim of cir- cumstance> 4. often circumstances. Financial status or means <in straitened circumstances> 5. Additional or accessory information : detail. 6. Formal display : ceremony Cmarched in pomp and cir¬ cumstance through the church> —vt. -stanced, -stanching, -stant*?? Tcl place in particular circumstances or conditions : situate —under no IDIOMS circumstances. In no case: never. —under (or in) the circumstances. Such being the case. a pat a pay ar care a father ar car e pet e be I pit PRONUNCIATION KEY oi boy ou out do took dor lure do boot th thin th this VII Elements of the Dictionary clamp (klamp) n. [ME < MDu. klampe.] A device for joining, grip¬ ping, supporting, or compressing structural or mechanical parts. —vt. clamped, damping, clamps To fasten, grip, or support with or as STYLISTIC LABEL if with a clamp. —clamp down.l Informal. To become repressive. ART CAPTION SUBCAPTION VARIANT NOUN PLURALS dep»sy«dra (klep'si-dra) n.,\pl. -dras or -drae (-dre')| [Lat. < Gk. klepsudra : kleps-, secretly (< kleptein, to steal) + hudor, water.] An ancient device that measured time by marking the regulated flow of water through a small opening. climb (kllm) v. climbed, climbing, climbs [ME climben < OE chmban.] —vt. To move up or mount, esp. by using the hands and feet : as- VERBAL ILLUSTRATION cendI Kclimbed a hill> —vi. 1. To rise or move up, esp. by using the hands and feet <climbed up the telephone pole> 2. To reach a higher status, rank, or condition. 3. To slant or slope upward <a trail climb¬ ing gradually to the peak> 4. To grow in an upward direction, as some plants do, by twining around an object for support. —climb down. To descend, esp. by means of the hands and feet <climbed down the rope ladder> —n. 1. The act of climbing : ascent. 2. A place to be climbed. —dimb'a»ble (kli'ma-bal) adj. SYMBOL ENTRY Cm symbol for curium. COm*mit (ka-mit') vt. -miMed, -mit’ting, -mits [ME committen < Lat. committere : com-, together + mittere, to send.] 1. To do or per¬ form : perpetrate <.commit a felony> 2. To give over to another care or use : entrust. 3. To place officially in confinement or cus¬ tody. 4. To put in a certain condition or form, as for future use, ref¬ erence, or preservation <commit to memory> 5. To put in a place to be disposed of or kept safe. 6a. To pledge (oneself) to a position <a politician who refuses to commit herself on the issues> b. To obli¬ gate or bind <was committed to attend the dinner> 7. To refer (e.g., UNDEFINED RUN-ON a legislative bill) to a committee. —]<om»mit/ta«ble adj. COn*fet*ti (kan-fet'e) pin. [Ital., pi. of confetto, candy < Med. Lat. confectum < Lat. confectus, p.part. of conficere, to prepare. —see confect.] (sing, in number). Small pieces or streamers of colored paper thrown about on festive occasions. USAGE LABEL CQpe«Stone fkop'ston') n.lvar. ofcAPSTQNET cop»y (kop'e) n., pi. -ies [ME < OFr. copie < Med. Lat. copia < Lat., abundance.] 1. A reproduction or imitation of an original : dupli¬ cate. 2. A specimen or example of a printed text or picture. 3. Ma¬ terial, as a manuscript, to be set in type. 4. Suitable source material, as for journalism Politicians make good copy.> —v. -ied, -y»ing, -ies —vt. 1. To make a copy of. 2. To follow as a model or pattern : imi¬ tate. —vi. 1. To make a copy or reproduction. 2. To admit of being copied. ❖ synonyms: copy, duplicate, facsimile, replica, reproduc¬ tion n. core meaning : one closely resembling another <copies of ANTONYM Persian mmiaturesTlonfoowil.' originalI CROSS-REFERENCE iranes«bill (kranz'hilM n Igfranium 1 cur«few (kur'fyoo) n. [ME curfeu < OFr. cuevrefeu, cover the fire : couvrir, to cover + feu, fire < Lat. focus, hearth.] 1. A regulation requiring certain or all people to leave the streets or be home at a prescribed hour. 2a. The period during which a curfew regulation is in effect, b. The signal announcing curfew. _ ■ word history: A curfew was originally a medieval regulation re quiring that fires be put out or covered at a certain hour at night WORD HISTORY PARAGRAPH The rule was probably instituted as a public safety measure to mini mize the risk of a general conflagration. A bell was rung at the pre¬ scribed hour, and the word curfew has been extended to denote botf the signal and the hour in addition to the regulation.