What's in a word?

Have you ever attended a meeting where acronyms were being tossed around? Ever wonder what some abbreviations mean? If so, check out the website, http://www.acronymfinder.com/. Enter the acronym or abbreviation that is stymying you and review the list of potential meanings. In a strange combination of functions, you can also use acronymfinder.com to search zip codes for the United States and Canada and retrieve a map of where they are located.

Speaking of definitions, if you get hung up on words occasionally or would like to look up the meaning of a word, here are two useful dictionary websites: Merriam-Webster Online and Dictionary.Com. M-W features a dictionary, thesaurus, Spanish-English dictionary, medical dictionary that contains an audio option and word games online. Dictionary.com features a dictionary, thesaurus, translator (which can be used with a variety of languages) and an encyclopedia online. Both are great resources to bookmark to your local machine or save to a social bookmarking site like Delicious.

Usage Dictionaries

Oftentimes, in the midst of composing a paper, you’ll find that your spell check just doesn’t help (of all those suggestions in the drop-down box which one is right?) and only later do you discover, when your paper comes back, that you should have used effect instead of affect, or that you have erroneously substituted the word discreet for its nearly identical counterpart discrete. In any case, to avoid the scourge of red pen, students should refer to a Usage Dictionary when they have any doubts concerning the proper use of a word. What, you might ask, is a Usage Dictionary? Well, a Usage Dictionary differs from normal dictionaries in that it gives explanations instead of definitions, and shows specific examples of proper use. Paul Brians is a Professor at Washington State University and has created a handy little website called Common Errors in English Usage that is much like a usage dictionary. For those looking for fuller treatments on particular words nothing can beat the Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage where a typical entry spans half a page. We also have a collection of others here!

So whether you lean more toward the descriptive side of the linguistics debate or tend to be one those who insist on using King’s English even in Instant Messages, consider that Professors and Employers appreciate attention to detail in all matters and you can certainly convey that in your written work.