The third edition of Webster's II New College Dictionary has been completely revised, featuring thousands of timely new entries such as Amber Alert, human shield, SARS, and WiFi, along with biographical and geographic sections that reflect the most up-to-date information available. Created to serve the needs of a wide range of users, including students on campus and families at home, Webster's II has hundreds of notes on usage, word history, and synonyms that shed light on our language and offer guidance on word choice. Authoritative and easy to use, Webster's II New College Dictionary is a trusted companion to inquisitive minds at every stage of life. * Accurate, concise definitions * Hundreds of detailed illustrations * Updated biographical and geographic sections * Alphabet, Bible, currency, and other informative tables * Concise style guide with rules for capitalization and punctuation. AUTHOR: The Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries and of other reference titles published by Houghton Mifflin Company are trained lexicographers with a varied array of interests and expertise. Most of the editors hold graduate degrees and have studied at least one foreign language. Several have degrees in linguistics or in the history of the English language. Others have degrees in science or sometimes other disciplines. All the editors familiarize themselves with the vocabulary in specific subject areas, collect materials on new developments and usage, and work in association with consultants to ensure that the content of our publications is as accurate and as up-to-date as possible.