The Describer's Dictionary: A Treasury of Terms & Literary Quotations

A singular and indispensable reference tool, The Describer's Dictionary--now expanded and updated--has served for over twenty years as the go-to resource for writers who are determined to capture the world in just the right words.

The dictionary uses a unique reverse definition-to-term format that makes it easy to zero in on the term you're seeking. Turn to the new section on sensory impressions, for example, to find vivid terms for loud or jarring, such as grating, harsh, piercing, blaring, thunderous, cacophonous, and raucous. And at the end of each section dozens of illustrative passages by notable fiction and nonfiction authors--including Donna Tartt, Michael Lewis, Zadie Smith, Khaled Hosseini, and Paul Theroux--bring the terminology to life.

New in this edition:

- Hundreds of additional definitions, terms, and synonyms

- Brand-new categories, including Physical States and Symptoms, Temperament and Behavior, Rooms and Interior Spaces, Weather and Forces of Nature, and The Solar System

- Over 400 new quotations from books, periodicals, and digital media by established and rising literary stars

- An index of the more than 600 authors quoted in the book

Author: David Grambs, Ellen S. Levine
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Published: 11/24/2014
Pages: 608
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.00lbs
Size: 8.20h x 5.60w x 1.40d
ISBN13: 9780393346169
ISBN10: 0393346161
BISAC Categories:
- Reference | Dictionaries
- Language Arts & Disciplines | Writing | General