In this book, part of the "Learning about Language" series, the rise and development of the English dictionary is examined, along with the kinds of dictionary available, the range of information they contain, factors affecting their usage and public attitudes towards them. As well as an descriptive analysis of word meaning, the author considers whether a thematic, thesaurus-like presentation might be more suited than the traditional alphabetical format to the description of words and their meaning. The "Learning about Language" series sets out to provide introductory texts on fundamental topics in language, linguistics and related areas for students of linguistics and for those who are studying language as part of a wider course.