A Dictionary of Biology, 6th Edition (Penguin Reference Books) - Softcover

Abercrombie, Michael; Hickman, C. J.; Johnson, M. L.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0140510036 ISBN 13: 9780140510034

Publisher: Penguin Books, 1973

Synopsis

"A Dictionary of Biology" is an up-to-date reference work explains several thousand specialized words that allow for empirical approaches to the biological sciences. It includes more than bare definitions, including information about most of the things named so as to convey their significance in biological discussion. M. Abercrombie, C. J. Hickman, and M. L. Johnson in effect interpret this language as it is actually used, emphasizing customary usage rather than etymology.This comprehensive lexicon includes two thousand entries. Many unfamiliar terms, especially the rarer ones, are defined with the help of other technical terms, perhaps equally unfamiliar. This trick of dictionary-makers could only be avoided by giving a complete account of a large part of biology under each heading. Every biological technical term used in a definition is itself defined elsewhere in the dictionary; though some semi-technical terms, words that can be found in any English dictionary are omitted.The authors use codes throughout the dictionary to help the reader to interpret the use of a word such as whether it is used in relation to plants and animals only, whether the word is an adjective, and when a term is defined elsewhere and adds information to the current definition. The result is an invaluable guide for the layman, the student, and the scholar alike. It presents clear and authoritative explanations of the terms and will remain useful as a quick and concise source of reference.

About this title

About the Author

M. Abercrombie was professor of embryology at University College London until his retirement.

C. J. Hickman was professor of botany at the University of Western Ontario.

M. L. Johnson taught zoology at Birmingham University.

Review

“The valuable Dictionary of Biology, first put out in England in paperback edition by Penguin Books, Inc., has now been published in the Unites States in hardback cover. . . . This small book . . . has much to commend it. The definitions are unusually concise and easy to understand. Many of the explanations are almost encyclopaedic, leading the reader to richer than usual knowledge. . . . I have enjoyed and profited much by reading the book from cover to cover. It is a work I will frequently consult.”

—Edmund C. Jaeger, American Midland Naturalist

Edition details

• Publisher: Penguin Books
• Publication date: 1973
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0140510036
• ISBN 13: 9780140510034
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 6
• Number of pages: 306