David Skinner’s wonderful book, The Story of Ain’t: America, Its Language, and the Most Controversial Dictionary Ever Published, arrives in paperback tomorrow. The following transcript is adapted from ...

Dictionary of Fine Distinctions merits study at your leisure. Burnstein describes his little volume as “Nuances, Niceties, and Subtle Shades of Meaning. It is by no means an adverse criticism of Eli ...

Rastell’s law dictionary was the first English language dictionary of any type, with its alphabetical arrangement of terms and their definitions. First published in Anglo-Norman French around 1523 as ...

If you look up “microaggression” or “sheeple” or “safe space” on the website of the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the entries won’t have a byline—but their author is Stefan Fatsis. A longtime journalist ...

Eley Williams tells the story of two word-mad characters who work for the same dictionary publisher 120 years apart. This novel is perfect for anyone who loves puns, crosswords and witty writing. This ...

What is the hardest word to define? What’s the longest word in English? These are just some of the questions Merriam-Webster editor Kory Stamper has to field when she tells people about her job. It’s ...