Random House Webster's College

This retitled successor to the Random House College Dictionary (1975. 2d ed.) is a cutdown, modestly updated version of the excellent second unabridged Random House Dictionary of the English Language ( LJ 11/15/87). It comprises 180,000 entries, including many recent coinages (e.g., be lonoid , Eurocentric , monkey-wrenching , upscale ). Among the dictionary's conspicuous strengths are strong attention to slang and dialect, as well as the vocabulary of modern science; normally concise but clear definitions; informative etymologies that date the first use of most words; and a clean, inviting typography (much improved over the previous college edition). Concerning the sensitive issue of usage, the new Random House describes the language as it is actually used, not how the editors et al. believe it should be used. Informative usage notes and labels, however, often clarify the status of troublesome words, such as flaunt and irregardless . For those who might wonder, the addition of "Webster" to the dictionary's title signals no change in lexicographic practice at Random House; it was strictly a marketing decision. The new Random House Webster's College Dictio nary joins Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary and Webster's New World Dic tionary (3rd college ed.) as the top college desk dictionaries on the North American market. Each is authoritative, thorough, and reasonably current. (No, the second college edition of the American Heritage Dictionary has not been overlooked; it is simply inferior to the competition in most respects.) Recommended for most libraries that need an up-to-date college dictionary.- Kenneth F. Kister, Tampa, Fla.Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.