Minimum System Requirements Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/XP & Mac

Merriam Websters Collegiate Dictionary & Thesaurus 11th Edition is available at Amazon for $17.49. To Order click here
Amazon Product Pages contain a lot of other details on this product as Customer Reviews, Sales Ranking, Special Offers, Alternate products that customers are going for and much more.Want to read these details? click here

Want to get some other Format / Binding / Version? You can search for them from here

Other Products of Interest

• Encyclopedia Britannica 2009 Deluxe
• English Grammar Workbook For Dummies (For Dummies (Language & Literature))
• English Grammar for Dummies
• Encyclopedia Britannica 2009 Student and Home Edition (Ultimate Reference Suite)
• The Only Grammar Book You'll Ever Need: A One-Stop Source for Every Writing Assignment

1. the act of distracting.
2. the state of being distracted.
3. mental distress or derangement.
4. that which distracts, divides the attention, or prevents concentration.
5. that which amuses, entertains, or diverts; amusement; entertainment.
6. division or disorder caused by dissension; tumult.

Has anything changed? Is there a difference?

Definitely.

Maybe.

At least it's just two out of six.

Bitch: informal derogatory a woman whom one dislikes or considers to be malicious or unpleasant.

Whore: a prostitute. a promiscuous woman.

 Now you know.

Nciku is basically an online Chinese-English dictionary and is a great tool for Mandarin scholarship students. I had a look at it a while ago and came to the conclusion that it was a social networking dictionary. You can sign up and interact with others in the nciku community, as you look up new vocabulary. It didn't appeal to me, as I thought the concept was odd and had been happily using mdbg.net.

That said, the Handwrite Characters function, or handwriting recognition tool, is brilliant! Pinyin.info recently highlighted this feature which I have used several times.

If you've ever tried to translate a character, you will know that if you don't know the radical it can take a very long time to work out. This tool makes short work of that problem.

How does it work?

The handwriting recognition tool has been around for many years. My Chinese teacher introduced me to it a few months ago. It was part of his Chinese language Windows OS or MS word suite. Unfortunately, I run an English language version of XP and that tool is not included.

This tool/software can also be put on a PDA. A mobile handwriting recognition tool! Just the thing for long bus journeys.

I'm writing this blog to tell you about my website - InterWebPortal.com

The site continues to improve, many features will be available soon nevertheless please come watch and use it.

Current features includes:

Search - http://interwebportal.com/search/

Video Network - http://interwebportal.com/videos/

Blog - http://interwebportal.com/weblog/

Encyclopedia - http://interwebportal.com/encyclopedia/

Jobs - http://interwebportal.com/jobs/

Games - http://interwebportal.com/games/

Software - http://interwebportal.com/software/

Movies - http://interwebportal.com/movies/

Electronics - http://interwebportal.com/electronics/

Forum - http://interwebportal.com/forum/

News - http://interwebportal.com/news/

Sports - http://interwebportal.com/sports/

Mobile - http://interwebportal.com/mobile/

Finance - http://interwebportal.com/finance/

Dictionary - http://interwebportal.com/dictionary/

Travel - http://interwebportal.com/travel/

Maps - http://interwebportal.com/maps/

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Math Heads (Theatrix Interactive - ages 10-14) sees teaching math as guerrilla warfare - parents aren't asking for any quarter, and Theatrix isn't giving any. That's why the visuals are nauseatingly busy, the soundtrack is obnoxiously loud, and the sense of humor is determinedly Beavis and Butthead. Put all these things together and you've got a program that's sure to hook the target age range; put solid, conventional teaching methods behind them, and you've got something that actually works. Math Heads uses the device of a television network to take the boredom out of pre-algebra, fractions, and the universally despised word problems. About a dozen channels alternate between game-show contests (another Hollywood Squares rip-off, and an estimation game in which you race the clock to keep your dancers dancing, Soul Train-style) and clever "infomercials," which teach handy math tools (slice and dice, one infomercial counsels, and you'll get 25% of anything - half on the slice, half on the dice). The aesthetics are a mix of MTV and Nickelodeon, but the teaching methods are all sound. Math Heads provides kids with the right tools, always reinforces recent lessons, and - best of all - "shows its work." There's no mystery about how the "celebrities" on the Hollywood Square-type show have arrived at their answers; they'll deconstruct it for you. If you still don't get it, there's a help button to lead you through the problem yet again. This will make parents happy. Most everything else, right from the wacky beginning (in which you assemble a character from spare parts to represent you in the game), will make kids happy.

-December 1996, Kids' Education

O lance é ter um dicionário parecido com o padrão do python, onde as chaves possam ser atributos e vice-versa. A limitação é que em hipótese alguma a chave pode ser algo diferente de uma string.

Pra resolver esse problema, coloquei uma opção strict=True no construtor da classe. Quando está em modo strict, ela gera um Exception se a chave não for uma string. Caso contrário, transforma o objeto em questão em uma string, com prefixo "_" e boas.

[sourcecode language="python"]

#!/usr/bin/env python
# coding: utf-8
# SuperDict 20081010 AF

class SuperDict(dict):
    def __init__(self, data=None, strict=True):
        self.__strict = strict
        if data:
            if type(data) is not dict:
                raise ValueError('argument is not a dictionary')

            for k, v in data.items(): self.__setitem__(k, v)

    def __setattr__(self, k, v):
        dict.__setattr__(self, k, v)
        if k != '_SuperDict__strict':
            dict.__setitem__(self, k, v)

    def __setitem__(self, k, v):
        if type(k) is not str:
            if self.__strict:
                raise ValueError('key "%s" is not string' % k)
            else:
                k = '_' + repr(k)

        self.__setattr__(k, v)
[/sourcecode]

Em alguns casos, é muito mais prático usar um esse SuperDict que um dicionário comum. Ao criar uma nova chave no dicionário, tipo sd['chave'] = 10, ela estará automaticamene disponível como um atributo, tipo sd.chave.

Também, o caminho inverso funciona. O setattr pode ser implícito ou explícito, e o valor do novo atributo será uma nova chave no dicionário. Ao executar algo como sd.novachave = 10, ele irá executar o mesmo que sd['novachave'] = 10, mesmo que ela ainda não exista.

>>> from SuperDict import SuperDict
>>> sd = SuperDict({'nome':'Alexandre', 'sobrenome':'Fiori'})
>>> sd.idade = 28
>>> sd
{'idade': 28, 'sobrenome': 'Fiori', 'nome': 'Alexandre'}

Prático né?

Atheist: one how does not believe in the existence of god(s).

Why is this so difficult for some people?

Perhaps it's not really difficult, but the straw man definition, that there absolutely is no god, which has only ever been stated by a tiny handful of atheists, is easier to destroy, so theists who choose to debate the point also choose to ignore common usage and resort to their Websters.

Let's go with that, shall we? All of the following references will tell you that the root word, theism, is a belief in the existence of gods. Therefore, a theist is one who believes in the existence of gods.

Theism
Theism
Theism
Theism
Lots and lots of theism

Next, we come to the prefix a which means lacking, not, absent, or without:

Learn English
English Club
Wikipedia
MyWord

So atheism means without belief in god(s) and atheist is a noun referring to someone without belief in god(s).

So why do so many theists and even lexicographers take such liberties with the word? If you look at any number of online dictionaries, you'll see atheism defined in some rather creative ways. For example:

a·the·ism (th-zm)
n.
1.
a. Disbelief in or denial of the existence of God or gods.
b. The doctrine that there is no God or gods.
2. Godlessness; immorality.

The Free Dictionary

Why? Did knowledge or morality factor into the definitions of theism? No, it did not. Only belief. Prefixes do not alter the definitions of root words. So why do people do it? Ignorance? Prejudice? Fear of the unknown? Intellectual dishonesty and laziness? A few loud and obnoxious atheists making the rest of us look bad? I wonder how Christians who take this approach would feel about being lumped in with Fred Phelps and his ilk?

I don't know, but the leaps some people are willing to take to avoid thinking, deny reality and cling to their preconceived ideas is disturbing and mind-boggling.

Posted by Lottie -- Copyright © 2008 Rambling On

Many of you have left comments before and some have even emailed me saying that I should put together a "SanityFound Dictionary" and publish it.  The difference that I am talking about is... well its going to be ALL of us not just me.  I mean sure I come up with some words, I find the oddest ones as well and add them into my vocab, to me its fun and makes life more colourful.

So here is the proposal... I ask you for submissions...

If you have made up any words

If you use a word not regularly used by others but you think its funky and should be used

Want to try your hand at making up some words? Think some up and try your hand at it

Slang used in your country, suburb, province, state, culture that you think is funky and universal

With all of the above try give the following details

Origin - Did you invent it, did you hear it, misunderstand something someone said, read it, found it, etc

Pronunciation - say it out loud and type it as it sounds

Definition - What does it mean?

Use - Put it in a sentence as you would use it

Example:

Absofruitly

Origin: SanityFound

Pronunciation: ab-sooo-fruit-lee

Definition: Agreeing happily

Use: I most agree absofruitly

If you want to see what I have done so far then head over to my SanityFound's Dictionary Page and if all else fails at least have a laugh...

If we get enough submissions then I'll put it into an A, B, C book format which you can either download or I'll put it up on Cafepress at cost.

So let the games begin, if anything, it should be fun...

SanityFound

• I could have painted an imaginative picture of this concept but that's so expected so I'm going to be all bad-ass, straight-talking by putting the dictionary meaning in 10 point white text, on a black background.

It is also a device people in the communications business use to settle arguments - the weight of the dictionary, both physical and authoritative can shut people up, "Say whatever you wish, this is what the dictionary says, so zip it."

Every time I hear:

• "The business students should brief the creatives by next class"
• "Let's meet with the Creatives at 5:30 Thursday"
• "We won't have the creatives 'cos the printer is jammed",

I cringe and wish I had a pocket dictionary handy with a tab on the page so I could quickly show them the word creative is an adjective. Of course, in 1962 Merriam-Webster gave up - to the convenience seeking, busy, advertising professionals who, spoiled with liberty, abused the word to include people and items that aspire to be creative - and added a second meaning to the word creative.

Is it not it in our interest to maintain the sanctity of the word? Besides, as an adjective, creative is more open. It could be talking about mysterious mythology, a comedian who finds humor in the mundane, the first farmer who made the scare crow, Led Zeppelin (I'm biased), whoever came up with mutual funds, the Sony Bravia crazy ball commercial, and beyond.

I've been itching to do something about the issue in school.

[While the abuse of the word is a burning issue for me almost everyday, this post moved me to write about it.]

In 183 pages, the authors define about 100 theological terms ranging from "absolution" to "dogma" to "means of grace" to "YHWH" (apparently they couldn't think of any "Z" terms). Each term is given a "one-liner" (think of a stand up comic's punch line) definition, some of which are quite insightful, others of which are less so, others of which are actually quite cynical, and still others which are just plain zany. Each one-liner is usually followed by a couple of paragraphs in which the significance of the term is fleshed out, often with the help of a fictional character named "Duh" who dialogues "duh-like" with God, or with references to popular culture. While some of the explanations come off sounding like they were spoken with the straight-face of a theological lecturer, others reach out and slap you in the face with a mixture of sarcasm, slapstick, and some serious dry wit.

The six-author team wear their Lutheranism on their sleeve and the book is edited by a Lutheran Old Testament scholar. Their Lutheranism comes out especially with the overarching emphasis on the forgiveness of sin (it seems to be mentioned in about every third entry) and shows up plainly in entries like "sacraments," "two kingdoms," and of course "simultaneously saint and sinner." 

Now whatever you might think about mixing theology and humour, I have to admit that I couldn't put the book down. In fact I was reading it walking home yesterday and  (as humour columnist Dave Barry is apt to say, "I'm not making this up!!") I nearly bumped into a stop sign. Needless to say, I snorted out loud more than a few times--but oddly enough,  I also found myself often thinking,  "Hmmmm....I'd never thought of it that way before!" 

So, yeah, there were times I howled while reading it. Like when I read the one-liner on "ecclesiology": "The ultimate form of spiritual group navel gazing."

Or the definition for "creed":  "Not to be confused with the boxer who pummelled Rocky Balboa, a personal statement of belief, written by someone else, for use in pummeling heretics." 

Did you know that inclusive language is "the arrangement of the grammatical furniture in such a way that no one sits comfortably?" 

And one of my favourites: "Council": "A huddle of the entire church's bishops for the sake of clarifying some puzzle that was probably caused by one or more bishops."

At other times, I was actually startled by the simple but profund way that a term was defined. Thus, Crazy Talk defines "kingdom of God" as "A time that hasn’t happened yet but already has begun; a place that doesn't exist yet but where you already live." Does that not simply but profoundly capture the dialectic of the "already/not yet", or what? And what else is"theodicy" but "the attempt to explain why the one who created everything and saved everyone doesn't live up to our expectations." Yes, I know these definitions don't capture nearly everything that needs to be said about these important concepts; if you think they should, well, you just don't get it. But in certain respects, these are just some samples of some of  the best short and thought provoking definitions I've ever heard.

At other times, it seems like Crazy Talk is even trying to provoke an argument or take a shot at giving a virtual bloody nose. Take their definition of "atheism": "The personal choice to be at the whim of earthly powers because you can't handle being at the whim of God." Now them's fightin' words! Oh, and if you are a committed dispensationalist with a temper, you probably should skip the page where they define "rapture." (Of course I'm not going to tell you what they say about the rapture----find out for yourself!) 

So why did I like the book so much? Well, it's certainly not because the book is a definitive piece of theological insight and information. Sure, it presents itself as a dictionary, but I wouldn't suggest using it as an authoritative source in a research paper--necessarily. But in a sermon--without a doubt, go for it! 

But what appeals to me is that this is such a good example of how it is actually possible to enjoy the study of theology. Karl Barth often said that theology, more than any other discipline, should be a "happy science." Now for those who have actually talked with a professional theologian, or participated in conferences where the room was full of professional theologians, you might think Barth's idea of theology as a happy science might sound----crazy. That's because professional theologians have a tendency to take absolutely everything they talk about as if it were a matter of life and death, and in such situations, humour appears to have taken a permanent vacation. (And you can see why this is so because in reality, theology IS about life and death and serious theologians are proof that they actually believe it!) This isn't to say that the authors of Crazy Talk don't think theology is serious business. On the contrary, they take theology seriously precisely by not taking themselves too seriously. Theology is, after all, a task undertaken by fallen, often foolish, humans who are trying to say something meaningful about God and the world. And, well, when you think about it...what are mere humans that they think they can do this? That's just crazy!

But paradoxically, when we remember that theology is the happy science (with the help of an important reminder from a book like Crazy Talk), we can joyfully enjoy the experience of thinking deeply--and happily and even with a good laugh from the gut--about the God who shows up in a feeding trough in first century Palestine. Now that's crazy! Now read the book--and enjoy!

Link Add: Cambridge - Dictionaries Online

Looking for some campus unity as well as the savory taste of fresh brains? [The Student Leader Blog]

Martin offers some help for using some of the coolest words in the OED at school. [TheUniversityBlog]

For Amy, producing a senior thesis film involves mediocre funding, long hours, incomplete source material, and maybe even some personal fulfillment. [i write with pictures]

Tip link:

• Who hasn't sent the occasional drunk email which was immediately regretted after the tequila wore off? No more, my friends (as long as you use Gmail). [Official Gmail Blog]

New blog added: Zen College Life (University of Houston)

Only 3 days until the SB launch of the Freshman 15 laptop giveaway!

Broke Grad Student gave his Freshman 15 laptop prize package away recently with one of the coolest contests I've seen out of the group. Definitely worth checking out. - Alex

Anyways. I'm working on a paper this week about how McDonald's wants the dictionary to change the meaning of the word "McJob" to mean something more positive and less....true! Its funny. I find it interesting that McDonald's can even request a change in definition. Doesn't that seem wrong in so many ways. Making up what you'd like the definition to mean. I could demand that we change the definition of idiot to mean beautiful happy one, but I'd still get punched for calling someone that...or at least glared at. Anyways...yes I'm writing my final on the dictionary and yes I'm somewhat excited about it. sweet huh? weird huh? yes! Ok well I have to go get Em soon so I'll talk at you later.

Works, Good \gud wuhrks\ n.

What you do because you don't have to do anything.

Your friend invites you to dinner. You ask, "What can I bring?"
Your friend answers, "Nothing; there is nothing you can bring. I've got it all covered."
Out of gratitude, you bring something anyway.

Now read this article again. But . . . 

For "friend" substitute "Lord."
For "invites you to dinner" substitute "saves you from your sins."
For "bring" substitute "do."

Rolf A Jacobson, ed. Crazy Talk: A Not-So-Stuffy Dictionary of Theological Terms,  p. 181.

Taino?

According to the message: "Taínos come from the Guaraní tribes from South America which migrated to the Caribbean islands." Looking further, wikipedia informs us that Taino is one of the dead languages of the maritime branch of northern Maipurean family of South American languages and includes the dialects Baicawa in Hispaniola (now Haiti), Cayaba in Hispanola and the Keyes, Cubaba in Cuba and Hispanola, Eyeri in Boriquen (now Puerto Rico), and Lucayo in the Bahamas.

So Taino is a dead language--and now it has a dictionary?  Looking further, the dictionary seems to be the project of Puerto Ricans who have preserved some of their language in the mountainous regions of their country.  Why am I not surprised.

Last week I read somewhere that you don't really know a language until you write a dictionary of it. How do you write a dictionary, I thought? That might be interesting to try. Then I forgot all about it until this week when some language buffs were buzzing about whether the ideal Chinese dictionary could be compiled with a donation of a million dollars from Bill Gates, or if it would take $50 million. So much for my hypothetical dictionary, I thought.

But take a look at these Tainos.  They don't know a dictionary takes a million dollars and a bunch of impossible credentials.   They don't even know their language is dead.  They just went ahead and did it. I kind of like these Taino folks, whoever they are.

Oh, and they have dance music.

Pleasing or sweet in sound; smooth-sounding.

The thought of Ryan Reynolds knocking on my door with no shirt on is quite euphonious right now.

Haven't done this in a while, and I liked the word, so I thought I would bring it back.

Enjoy! I will try to do it at least once a week; I eventually plan to resume it daily.

Anyway...his word choice prompted my response which contained several of my favorite invented NaNo words such as:

NaNoNeeds which can be anything from sleep, chocolate or coffee depending on the occasion.
NaNoBuds which can be friends or beer again depending on the occasion.
NaNoJitters which is what I am feeling right now.
NaNoFrenzy will take over on November 1st.
NaNoFreedom on the 30th.
Finally, NaNoBlues which happens on or about December 1st.

So I posted a thread to our forum and have received some interesting new NaNoWords to add to the NaNoDictionary. My favorite so far and I wish I would have coined it myself is from elisgalpal:

"NaNoProcrastination which is what I am doing now when I should be figuring out character names at least or working on ideas and such. This becomes a dangerous situation when it is the middle of November and you're nowhere near your 25,000 words you're supposed to have."

Officially taking submissions!