Take charge of today's language with dozens of new words and meanings including applet, beta test, biomemetics, download, DVD, emoticon, euro, half-pipe, intranet, smoothie, and' snail mail.

EASY-TO-UNDERSTAND MEANINGS HELP YOU COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY.
. More than 215,000 definitions deliver extensive coverage of the words you need.
. Illustrations and tables aid understanding and offer information at a glance.

SPELLINGS AND PRONUNCIATIONS HELP YOU WRITE AND SPEAK ACCURATELY.
. Entries present correct spellings for more than 160,000 words and phrases.
. Detailed symbols show most-common pronunciations and acceptable variants.

USAGE GUIDES AND SYNONYM PARAGRAPHS HELP YOU CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD.
. Authoritative usage notes and paragraphs answer questions about how words are used.
. Synonym paragraphs go beyond a thesaurus to explain shades of difference among words.

SPECIAL SECTIONS OFFER UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION TO HELP BUILD YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWLEDGE.
. Special sections include: Biographical Names, Geographical Names, Abbreviations, Foreign Words and Phrases, Signs and Symbols.
. A Handbook of Style provides essential information to improve your writing.