Webster's
[ web-sterz ]
/ ˈwɛb stərz /
noun
Informal.
a dictionary of the English language, especially American English, such as Dictionary.com.
Also called
Webster's dictionary.
historical usage of Webster's
Webster's, as the short name for a dictionary, most likely referred originally to the comprehensive dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language, written over the course of 27 years by Noah Webster (1758-1843) and first published in 1828. This was not Webster's first dictionary (that one, much smaller, was published in 1806 as
A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language ). Nor was Webster necessarily the author of the very first American English dictionary; some scholars assign that honor to one Samuel Johnson (not
the Samuel Johnson, famed British lexicographer of a century earlier). But Noah Webster's major dictionary may well be thought of as the first to Americanize the English lexicon, incorporating many words that were distinct parts of American life, like
skunk and
squash, words that had not previously been recorded in dictionaries, and simplifying British spellings—for example, substituting
color for
colour and
center for
centre . For many years, the copyright to the Webster name belonged only to dictionaries published by the G. and C. Merriam Company, later renamed Merriam-Webster. Later, after the name came into the public domain, many dictionaries were able to call themselves
Webster's, and the name came to be used frequently as an informal synonym for
dictionary , whoever the publisher was and whatever name did or did not appear on the cover.
Definition for webster's (2 of 3)
webster
[ web-ster ]
/ ˈwɛb stər /
noun Archaic.
a weaver.
Definition for webster's (3 of 3)
Webster
[ web-ster ]
/ ˈwɛb stər /
noun
British Dictionary definitions for webster's (1 of 2)
Word Origin for webster
Old English
webbestre, from
webba a weaver, from
webb
web
British Dictionary definitions for webster's (2 of 2)
Webster
/ (ˈwɛbstə) /
noun
Daniel. 1782–1852, US politician and orator
John. ?1580–?1625, English dramatist, noted for his revenge tragedies The White Devil (?1612) and The Duchess of Malfi (?1613)
Noah. 1758–1843, US lexicographer, famous for his American Dictionary of the English Language (1828)