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The Describer's Dictionary: A Treasury of Terms and Literary Quotations
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Bibliographic Detail
Publisher W W Norton & Co Inc
Publication date August 1, 1995
Binding Paperback
Book category Adult Non-Fiction
ISBN-13 9780393312652
ISBN-10 0393312658
Dimensions 1 by 5.50 by 8.25 in.
Availability§ Out of Print
Original list price $17.95
§As reported by publisher
Summaries and Reviews
Summary
A dictionary of the observable world features definition-first organization; passages from the writings of James, Updike, and others; and words concerning shapes, textures, colors, terrain, and more
Amazon.com description: Product Description:

Have you ever found yourself grasping in vain for that ideal descriptive word lost somewhere within the misty recesses of your vocabulary? Or felt frustrated that an oddly shaped structure or pretty setting you wished to portray in writing didn't quite translate clearly to paper?

If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then The Describer's Dictionary is exactly the book you need. Open it, and you have not only just the right words but―bringing them to life―stellar literary examples of descriptive writing as well.

The Dictionary concern itself with the observable, from shapes to buildings to human beings. "Referably" organized, the book uses a handy reverse, definition-to-term format that makes it easy to zero in on the term you're seeking. For example, look up "Noses" to find "aquiline," "leptorrhine," and "snub-nosed." And as an inspiration to any writer―showing how it's done by the best―hundreds of colorful and evocative descriptive passages from such diverse authors as Dickens, Darwin, and Updike appear on facing pages, making this a singularly and richly different kind of reference book.

The craft of description lives in literature, conversation, journalism, and personal letters. For help in painting pictures with the English language, The Desciber's Dictionary is one of the most indispensable reference tools you can own.


Editions
Paperback
Book cover for 9780393312652 Book cover for 9780393346169
 
With Ellen S. Levine | 2 expanded edition from W W Norton & Co Inc (November 24, 2014)
9780393346169 | details & prices | 606 pages | 5.75 × 8.25 × 1.50 in. | 1.02 lbs | List price $17.95
The price comparison is for this edition
from W W Norton & Co Inc (August 1, 1995)
9780393312652 | details & prices | 5.50 × 8.25 × 1.00 in. | 0.95 lbs | List price $17.95
About: A dictionary of the observable world features definition-first organization; passages from the writings of James, Updike, and others; and words concerning shapes, textures, colors, terrain, and more

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