Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries

Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries takes readers behind the pages of the dictionary and into the surprisingly complicated world of lexicography. Kory Stamper draws on her years as a dictionary editor to explore how words are defined, why some meanings are accepted while others are debated, and how much research can hide behind a single line of text. Along the way, she looks at slang, pronunciation, changing meanings, and the endless tension between what people think language should be and how it is actually used. Part memoir, part linguistic exploration, the book offers a witty and revealing look at the people who spend their days trying to make sense of words—and at the ever-changing nature of language itself.