Use Webster’s 1913 Dictionary When You Need to Define a Word
As a kid, I had an episode where I tried to postpone bedtime by asking Mom to read me a story and then coming back with a copy of Webster ‘s complete dictionary at home after she sent me for the book. (I think until recently this was a common children’s strategy). We had a 1966 version that weighed about 11 pounds and was almost 12 inches thick. As I got older, I actually used it to search for words.
While these huge tomes of doorstops may no longer be common household items, that doesn’t mean we don’t need dictionaries – they’re mostly just online right now. While it’s tempting to just do a quick Google search and use the first pop-up definition for a word, it’s not your only option. And according to Mark Frauenfelder of Recomendo , the best option is Webster’s 1913 Dictionary . Here’s why and how to use it.
How to Use Webster’s 1913 Dictionary
It turns out Frauenfelder discovered an online version of Webster’s 1913 dictionary from another recommendation bulletin: Friday Finds by David Perell.
Perell appears to use this 107-year-old dictionary because he believes that “modern dictionaries have lazy definitions that focus too much on simplicity at the expense of precision.” Frauenfelder agrees with this assessment and adds that he likes the “extreme simplicity of the interface,” noting that “it’s worth bookmarking.”
So, without further ado, here is a link to Webster’s 1913 Dictionary .
As an example, let’s look at the definition of “calendar” inWebster’s Dictionary, 1913 in comparison with the online version of the dictionary Merriam-Webster’s available today.
1913:
2020:
Feel free to do your own analysis, but at least know that the 1913 version is available if you need one.