The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language Essays

  • Twinkie Essay

    1132 Words  | 3 Pages

    From looking at words created in the 1980s, I have concluded that the population was looking for creativity and new ways to convey their feelings. The language reflects issues of negativity and misunderstanding happening at that time. One example is the word “twinkie.” Used to describe a male homosexual, an effeminate man, or a child regarded as an object of homosexual desire, this word became popular during a time when homosexuals were shunned and no one really understood AIDS. This term, as well

  • Definition Essay - The Word 'Private'

    563 Words  | 2 Pages

    When searched for in a dictionary, it can be found that the definitions don't vary much between the three dictionaries, although the dictionary from 1913 had a few dissimilar terms. The word private was looked up in Webster Dictionary from 1913,  The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition, and the Oxford English Dictionary: Second Edition. Many people think of private as meaning something in solitude, or secretive. Reading these dictionary entries revealed the labyrinthine

  • A Trip into the Artwork of Salvador Dali

    1025 Words  | 3 Pages

    artwork of Salvador Dali. During his journey as a young artist before finding his home in the realm of surrealism, Dali had experiences with other styles of painting such as realism, impressionism and cubism. According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language Realism is “The representation in art or literature of objects, actions, or social conditions as they actually are, without idealization or presentation in abstract form.” Dali exemplifies this in his painting Basket of Bread

  • The Definition of Courage

    845 Words  | 2 Pages

    The current dictionary definitions of courage are inadequate because they only include references to physical courage and omit instances of inner strength.  Three contemporary dictionaries agree closely on the definition although they differ in the order of importance. Webster's New World Dictionary describes courage as "an attitude of facing and dealing with anything recognized as dangerous, difficult or painful, instead of withdrawing from it," and The American Heritage Dictionary gives a similar

  • Noah Webster and the American Dictionary

    1733 Words  | 4 Pages

    Noah Webster and the American Dictionary Noah Webster—an 18th century American patriot, copyright pioneer and author of a dictionary that sustains his name centuries later. Born in West Hartford, Connecticut in 1758, Webster is known both for fighting in the American Revolution and for his position as being a strong advocate for the Constitutional Convention. His admiration of valiant creative people and their regard for the preservation of their civil ideals was surpassed by the feeling of

  • Propaganda in George Orwell's 1984

    667 Words  | 2 Pages

    Take a second to think about the word propaganda. What comes to mind? Do events such as World War II or The Cold War? According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, propaganda is a noun which means “the systematic propagation of a doctrine or cause or of information reflecting the views and interests of those advocating such a doctrine or cause.” In other words, propaganda, in this particular definition, is viewed as the deliberate transmission of an idea or document that

  • Cunt: Vulgar Words In The English Language

    1023 Words  | 3 Pages

    The word “cunt” remains one of the most powerful, shocking, and arguably vulgar words in the English language today. Its definition has shifted over time, going from a relatively innocuous word referring to a woman’s genitals or prostitutes, to the derogatory, highly censored term it is today. The Oxford English Dictionary offers a number of definitions for the word “cunt,” including “the female genitals; the vulva or vagina” and “a woman as a source of sexual gratification; a promiscuous woman;

  • The Ape-Like Mr. Hyde in Robert Louis Stevenson Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

    600 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hyde running over a child like a "Juggernaut," Utterson decides to stalk Mr. Hyde (Stevenson 3). After running into Mr. Hyde, Utterson is struck that "the man seems hardly human!/Something troglodytic" (Stevenson 10). According to the American Heritage Dictionary, troglodytic can be interpreted as "a member of a fabulous or prehistoric race of people ...

  • A report on the Proficiency in Standard English for Speakers of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) program.

    647 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ebonics have gained prominence in the American education system. However, ebonics continues to receive mixed responses from the academic communities. The following bill proposes the "Equality in English Instruction Act." The bill would require the State Department of Education to immediately terminate the proficiency in Standard English for speakers of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) program, which is encouraging the teaching of “ebonics” or street slang in our schools. The bill would

  • The Mind of Man in Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

    892 Words  | 2 Pages

    is the Outer Station. This station represents the Superego, which is "the division of the psyche that develops by the incorporation of the perceived moral standards of the community, is mainly unconscious, and includes the conscience" (American Heritage Dictionary). The Superego is the part of the mind which contains the standards of morality set by society. The Superego is also the section of humans that is a front, or a false face. People use their front to reflect what they think society wants

  • Christianity vs Buddhism

    930 Words  | 2 Pages

    religionfacts.com/christianity/holidays.htm> Buddhism n d The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language Fourth Edition 2003 Retrieved November 9 2013 from http//www.thefreedictionary.com/Buddhism Christian n d The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language Fourth Edition 2003 Retrieved November 9 2013 from http//www.thefreedictionary.com/Christian Non denomination n d The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language Fourth Edition 2003 Retrieved November 9 2013 from http

  • The Kite Runner

    1428 Words  | 3 Pages

    Khaled Hosseini’s best-selling novel, The Kite Runner, is an eye-opening look into Afghani and Islamic culture through the painful memories of an American immigrant, Amir. Hosseini’s novel is rich with beautiful imagery and settings. The book also masterfully tells of disturbing events and very real characters. Perhaps Hosseini’s greatest achievement is his vast and quite effective use of symbolism in The Kite Runner. One such recurring symbol is the pomegranate. The pomegranate’s rich symbolic

  • Philosophy and Metaphysics

    1170 Words  | 3 Pages

    coming u... ... middle of paper ... ...e. (n.d.) The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. (2003). Retrieved March 30 2014 from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/subjective virtue. (n.d.) The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. (2003). Retrieved March 31 2014 from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/virtue The end justifies the means. (n.d.) McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. (2002). Retrieved March 31 2014

  • Social Responsibilities of businesses

    691 Words  | 2 Pages

    identify the party's involved and the relationship they have to the business and business operations. A stockholder (shareholder) is one that owns or holds a share or shares of stock in company, enterprise or organisation (The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, 2005). Shareholders are the financial backing in the organisation, they are generally people interested in making a profit (in the form of dividends) and they supply capital to the organisation. On the contrary

  • A Common Language for Everybody

    1066 Words  | 3 Pages

    lingua franca has become popular; it is a language that could be spoken by the general public, regardless of their financial state or theological standpoint. Proponents assert that an international lingua franca would allow individuals to overcome their social, political, and economical norms, by increasing communication among the various branches of society. Opponents to lingua franca argue that multilingualism is invaluable. They consider a natural language as one’s birthright, and the gateway to

  • Multiculturalism in Mother Tongue, Memorial Day and Multiculturalism, and College Writing

    1969 Words  | 4 Pages

    in Mother Tongue, Memorial Day and Multiculturalism, and College Writing As an American it is very important to understand the different concepts of assimilation and multiculturalism. It is these terms that differ one person from everybody else in some kind of way. Multiculturalism is a term that is just what it sounds like. It is including several cultures. According to the American Heritage dictionary, multiculturalism is " a social or educational theory or program that encourages interest

  • Defining Deaf Culture

    2086 Words  | 5 Pages

    Imagine if you were a proud Native-American, or Hispanic and someone said that your culture is not real, that the way you were born is just a disability, and you should change to be more like everyone else. You would probably be quite offended. That is what the Deaf community has had to deal with constantly for the past 40 years because of the social unawareness of much of the hearing community. 90% of all deaf children are born to hearing parents who never thought much about the deaf community

  • English As A Global Language Essay

    1717 Words  | 4 Pages

    about the use of English as a global language comes at a time when there exists cultural, political and economic supremacy among nations that are speaking different languages. The rise of nations such as China to the global platform and the influence of France in the European Union are making both the Chinese and the French languages to gain respect in the world. Beyond this, English remains a formidable language that can serve to unify all nations of the world. Firstly, English speaking countries

  • Language Preservation of the Coushatta Peoples

    1302 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Contemporary Issues in Native American Culture provides a lot of varied topics and interests. In this paper, the main issue will be the topic of tribal language preservation. How tribes are able to raise money to enhance language efforts, how tribes are working to preserve the language, and how tribes are using language to maintain cultural awareness and identity will be discussed. Tribes are working hard to preserve their language through many different methods. For example, Rindels (n.d.)

  • William Carlos Williams' This is Just to Say

    1571 Words  | 4 Pages

    the use of language chosen for its sound and suggestive power and by the use of literary techniques such as meter, metaphor, and rhyme. 2. A composition in verse rather than in prose. 3. A literary composition written with an intensity or beauty of language more characteristic of poetry than of prose. -- The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English