This dictionary covers, in one volume, over 1800 of the most important deities
and demons from around the world. From classical Greek and Roman mythology to
the gods of Eastern Europe and Mesopotamia, from Nordic giants to Islamic jinns
and Egyptian monsters, it is packed with descriptions of the figures most
worshipped and feared around the world and across time. Fully cross-referenced
and featuring two handy guides to the functions and attributes shared by those
featured, this dictionary is the essential resource for anyone interested in
comparative religion and the mythology of the ancient and contemporary worlds.

From classical Greek and Roman mythology to the gods of Eastern Europe and
Mesopotamia; from Nordic giants to Islamic jinns and Egyptian monsters, this classic
dictionary is packed with descriptions of the figures most worshipped and feared around
the world and across time. Fully cross-referenced and with over 100 illustrations, it also
features two handy appendices listing the functions and attributes shared by these
deities and demons.
Covering over 1800 of the most important gods and demons from around the world,
this is the essential resource for anyone interested in comparative religion and the
mythology of the ancient and contemporary worlds.

Manfred Lurker was, from 1968 to 1980, editor of the Bibliography of Symbolism,
Iconography and Mythology. He has published widely on symbolism and the history of
religion.

Read the rest of this entry »

This dictionary is based on word parts — those prefixes, suffixes, combining forms and roots which show up repeatedly to form words — and is meant to be used in conjunction with a standard dictionary and a thesaurus. It can help to retrieve words only dimly remembered, or it can lead to specific new words which otherwise might never have been discovered. And since a single recurrent letter combination often unlocks the partial meaning of dozens of words, it can act as an efficient way to expand one’s general vocabulary. The Word Parts Dictionary is divided into three sections.

Part I, the standard Dictionary, allows a reader to find the meaning of word parts conveniently arranged in alphabetical order, together with an example. For instance, Part I would reveal that the word part -nov- can mean either “new” (for instance, novelty) or “nine” (for instance, novenary), so the user would then become alert to context clues. This section is particularly
useful to the person who has set out to expand his or her vocabulary. It is also a convenient place to consult to find actual examples after using Part II. Generally, one example is provided for each meaning.

Part II, the Finder, allows a user to start with a meaning or concept and then find the word parts which express that meaning. It is a reverse dictionary. For instance, one would learn that the meaning “color” is carried by the word parts chromato-, -chrome, chromo-, -chroous, -pigm-, -tinct-, and -ting-. Armed with that information, a user could then consult his or her memory or turn to the appropriate pages of a standard dictionary to find a variety of words which a thesaurus would not have contained. The alternative to finding such word parts is endless paging through an unabridged dictionary.

Part III, Categories, is also a reverse dictionary, but this time with the word parts arranged in clusters of meaning. For example, Part III would enable a reader to find, in one convenient listing, word parts which express many specific colors. Each color would also appear in Part II, of course, but in an isolated, alphabetical fashion. This dictionary focuses on four kinds of word parts.

Prefixes (pre): A prefix is a syllable, group of syllables, or word united with or joined to the beginning of another word to alter its meaning or create a new word. For example, re- is a prefix in the word “redevelop.” The hyphen at the end of the prefix indicates that it usually starts a word.

Suffixes (suf): A suffix is a syllable, group of syllables, or word added at the end of a word or word base to change its meaning, give it grammatical form, or form a new word. For example, -ette is a suffix in the word “kitchenette.” The hyphen at the start of the suffix indicates that it normally ends a word.

Combining forms (comb): A combining form is a word form that occurs only in compounds, or in compounds and derivatives, and that can combine with other such forms or with prefixes and suffixes to form a word. For example, cryo- is one of the combining forms in the word “cryogenic,”
and -genie is the other one. The hyphens indicate that cryo- usually starts the word in which it appears and that -genie usually ends the word in which it appears.

Bases (base): A base is a stem or a root, a generally short letter combination that conveys a recurrent meaning all by itself without being involved in a compound word. Prefixes and suffixes may be added to it. For example, -diet- is a base in the word “predictable.” The two hyphens indicate that it may appear at any location in a word: front, back, or middle. Thus, we have
“dictation,” “contradict,” and “predictable.” Read the rest of this entry »

Slang Dictionary Deluxe Version

The definition of slang varies, however the generally accepted definition is of language which is very informal or much below the standard level of education - colloquially known as ’street talk’.

Many terms start as slang, and become adopted as standard language. Similarly, the precise meanings of slang terms varies through the ages. Because the term slang also encompasses vocabulary not in general use, many dialectal words may also be considered slang.

The Probert Encyclopaedia slang dictionary offers a comprehensive dictionary of slang covering over 16,000 English language slang and dialect terms from around the world including country and regional specific slang such as English slang, American slang, Jamaican slang, Australian slang, Canadian slang, Dorset slang, Scottish slang, South African slang, cockney rhyming slang, theatre slang and even British middle-class suburban slang along with trade and sub-culture slang such as computer slang, cricket slang, medical slang, astronautical slang, military slang, drug culture slang etc. Slang terms through history - such as ‘Abbess’, ‘Abigail’ and ‘Spanker’ - are also included in the dictionary of slang.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Illustrated Dictionary of Electronics—8th Edition has been revised, clarified, and updated,
reflecting technological advances of recent years. New definitions have been added in
the fields of wireless technology, robotics, and artificial intelligence. Every effort has been
made to be concise and accurate, without “talking down” to the reader.
Many definitions contain cross references (indicated in ALL CAPITALS); these provide
recommended additional information or allow comparison with related terms. Expressions of
special significance are printed in italics. Electronics abbreviations are included in the text;
the full terms are stated as definitions.
While an effort has been made to avoid superfluous mathematics, equations are sometimes
necessary to completely and effectively define a term. Mathematics beyond the highschool
level has not been used.
Appendix A contains the standard symbols used in electrical and electronic diagrams.
These symbols are used in illustrations throughout this dictionary. Appendix B contains the
following data tables:
1. Conversion between electrical systems
2. Greek alphabet
3. Mathematical functions and operations
4. Prefix multipliers
5. Resistor color code
Suggestions for future editions are welcome.

Stan Gibilisco
Editor-in-Chief

About the author

Stan Gibilisco has authored or coauthored dozens of nonfiction books
about electronics and science. He first attracted attention with Understanding
Einstein’s Theories of Relativity (TAB Books, 1983). His Encyclopedia
of Electronics (TAB Professional and Reference Books, 1985) and
Encyclopedia of Personal Computing (McGraw-Hill, 1996) were annotated
by the American Library Association as among the best reference volumes
published in those years. Stan’s work has gained reading audiences in the
Far East, Europe, and South America.

Read the rest of this entry »

For high school students. Keyed to school syllabuses, it defines every mathematical
term and concept most people will ever need to know, in language that is easy to
understand.

Clear, concise, and informative
Newly revised and expanded, The Facts On File Dictionary of Mathematics includes
terms of general interest to the high school and general reader. It contains
more than 2,500 entries that explain, clearly and concisely, the most important
and commonly used terms in mathematics. Over 90 line drawings illustrate complex
mathematical concepts, and extensive cross references ensure the Dictionary’s
accessibility and ease of use. Over 200 new terms have been included with
emphasis on those in applied mathematics and computer science.

This dictionary is one of a series designed for use in schools. It is intended for students
of mathematics, but we hope that it will also be helpful to other science students
and to anyone interested in science. Facts On File also publishes dictionaries in
a variety of disciplines, including biology, chemistry, forensic science, marine science,
physics, space and astronomy, and weather and climate.
The Facts On File Dictionary of Mathematics was first published in 1980 and the
third edition was published in 1999. This fourth edition of the dictionary has been
extensively revised and extended. The dictionary now contains over 2,000 headwords
covering the terminology of modern mathematics. A totally new feature of
this edition is the inclusion of over 800 pronunciations for terms that are not in
everyday use. A number of appendixes have been included at the end of the book
containing useful information, including symbols and notation, symbols for physical
quantities, areas and volumes, expansions, derivatives, integrals, trigonometric formulae,
a table of powers and roots, and a Greek alphabet. There is also a list of Web
sites and a bibliography. A guide to using the dictionary has also been added to this
latest version of the book.
We would like to thank all the people who have cooperated in producing this book.
A list of contributors is given on the acknowledgments page. We are also grateful to
the many people who have given additional help and advice.

Read the rest of this entry »