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A definitive reference from the name synonymous with distinguished lexicography

For fast, up-to-date, and reliable information on the correct spelling and usage of today's myriad abbreviations, turn to a name you can trust. The Barnhart Abbreviations Dictionary is the most complete, authoritative reference of its kind now available. More than 60,000 entries put the materials you need at your fingertips. It explains the recommended usages of current abbreviations, as well as their literal meanings, while the distinctive, two-part format (see examples below) makes it easier than ever to find the answers you're looking for. With The Barnhart Abbreviations Dictionary you can:
* look up an abbreviation to find out what it stands for...
* or look up a term to find out how to abbreviate it.
* The most up-to-date and preferred forms
* Notes on pronunciation and context
* Extensive listings of scientific, technical, and computer abbreviations


An indispensable tool for the Information Age, when quick, concise communication is vital, The Barnhart Abbreviations Dictionary is your fastest, easiest, and best source. Authoritative and up-to-date, with more than 60,000 entries, this innovative volume is a landmark of its kind. Its publication marks the first time a staff of dictionary editors has constructed a new list of abbreviations from working files of contemporary English. Materials have been gathered from general interest newspapers, books, and magazines, and a wide array of technical publications, among other sources.

Beyond the scope of its contents, however, what separates The Barnhart Abbreviations Dictionary from similar reference works is its user-friendly, two-way format. Readers may look up an abbreviation to find out what it stands for, or--equally important--may look up a term or phrase to learn how to abbreviate it, an advantage that makes this volume invaluable.

In addition to literal definitions, you'll find detailed information on the meaning and context of each abbreviation, where needed. For example, under the entry Rh, readers learn not only that Rh stands for Rhodium or Rhesus Factor, but that Rhodium is a chemical element, and that Rhesus Factor refers to antigens found in red blood cells.

Other important features include:
* The most extensive coverage of scientific, technical, and computer abbreviations
* Notes on pronunciation and variant forms, the use of abbreviations and written symbols, foreign abbreviations, and the use of abbreviations with numbers or signs
* Preferred usages based on the style books of the U.S. Government Printing Office, The New York Times, the Modern Language Association, the Oxford University Press, and other influential sources


Organized, efficient, and very easy to use, The Barnhart Abbreviations Dictionary is an essential reference for both home and office.

Reseñas proporcionadas por Syndetics

CHOICE Review

Despite its compact size, this dictionary provides more than 60,000 entries for currently used abbreviations. Items included are from the Barnhart files "of developing English collected from newspapers, magazines, books, and other publications of current times." Two distinct parts form this work. The first is the list of abbreviation headwords with explanatory material; variant forms appear under a single entry. To indicate acceptable usage, the editor cites such sources as the US Government Printing Office, The New York Times, the Modern Language Association, Oxford University Press, the Canadian government's Style Manual for Writers and Editors (1962), and the Civil Service Commission of Canada's Office Manual (1959). The entries are concise and printed in easy-to-read typeface; internal abbreviations are minimal; pronunciations are offered for abbreviations and acronyms when necessary. The second part consists of a reverse list of words, phrases, and written symbols with current abbreviation forms. Since this work does not intend to supplant Acronyms, Initialisms & Abbreviations Dictionary (1976- ) but to offer only the most frequently used current abbreviations, it compares favorably to Oxford Dictionary of Abbreviations (CH, Mar'93). It belongs on ready reference shelves in academic and public libraries. Recommended. R. Hanson; Muskingum College

Booklist Review

Based on the files of words collected for use in the Barnhart dictionaries, The Barnhart Abbreviations Dictionary is in two parts: a list of abbreviations and symbols and a reverse list of what the abbreviations stand for. The editor aims to include commonly used abbreviations, with information on proper use. Usage was checked against style manuals of the Government Printing Office, the New York Times, the Modern Language Association, and Oxford University Press. An example of coverage is BWV, identified as "index of J. S. Bach's works (used with a number). [German Bach Werke-Verzeichnis]." Like many of the entries, this one provides explanation and context, as well as identification. The reverse listing is "Bach, J. S., index of BWV." Many entries divide identifications into use as an abbreviation and use as a symbol, as standard dictionaries separate definitions by parts of speech. For example, 27 uses are listed of lowercase c as an abbreviation (e.g., about, centimeter, cycle) and five uses as a symbol (e.g., coefficient, speed of light). Pronunciations are occasionally given (e.g., "tech. . . pronounced tek" ). Illustrative phrases, sometimes provided to enhance meaning, "are based on actual usage recorded in our quotation file." An 8 1/2-page essay on abbreviations precedes the dictionary, discussing such matters as types of abbreviations, history, and style. Gale's multivolume Acronyms, Initialisms & Abbreviations Dictionary has more than 500,000 entries compared with the 60,000 here but is strictly a list. DeSola's (now Kerchelich and Stahl's) Abbreviations Dictionary (CRC, 1994, $79.95) has more than 265,000 entries but does not have a reverse list. The Barnhart Abbreviations Dictionary is worth considering, even in libraries that own the Gale series, particularly since its contents are based on actual use. The reverse listing in the same volume adds value, the choice of entries seems both systematic and effective, coverage and access are helpful, and the price is right. (Reviewed Feb. 1, 1996)

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

ROBERT K. BARNHART, editor of The World Book Dictionary, The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology, and the American Heritage Dictionary of Science, is an independent scholar who carries on the family tradition of excellent reference works started by his father, the distinguished lexicographer Clarence Barnhart.