HOW TO USE THE DICTIONARY
To look up an entry in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, use the search window above. For best results, after typing in the word, click on the “Search” button instead of using the “enter” key.
Some compound words (like bus rapid transit, dog whistle, or identity theft) don’t appear on the drop-down list when you type them in the search bar. For best results with compound words, place a quotation mark before the compound word in the search window.
THE USAGE PANEL
The Usage Panel is a group of nearly 200 prominent scholars, creative writers, journalists, diplomats, and others in occupations requiring mastery of language. Annual surveys have gauged the acceptability of particular usages and grammatical constructions.
AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY APP
The new American Heritage Dictionary app is now available for iOS and Android.
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY BLOG
The articles in our blog examine new words, revised definitions, interesting images from the fifth edition, discussions of usage, and more.
INTERESTED IN DICTIONARIES?
Check out the Dictionary Society of North America at http://www.dictionarysociety.com
v. em·braced, em·brac·ing, em·brac·es v.tr. 1. To clasp or hold close with the arms, usually as an expression of affection. 2. To surround or enclose: "the bold chalk ridge that embraces the prominences of Hambledon Hill" (Thomas Hardy). 3. To include or contain as part of something broader. See Synonyms at include. 4. To adopt or support willingly or eagerly: embrace a social cause. 5. To avail oneself of: "I only regret, in my chilled age, certain occasions and possibilities I didn't embrace" (Henry James). v.intr. To join in an embrace. n. 1. An act of holding close with the arms, usually as an expression of affection; a hug. 2. An enclosure or encirclement: caught in the jungle's embrace. 3. Eager acceptance: his embrace of socialism. [Middle English embracen, from Old French embracer : en-, in; see EN-1 + brace, the two arms; see BRACE.] em·bracea·ble adj. em·bracement n. em·bracer n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
n. One who commits embracery. [Middle English imbrasour, from Anglo-Norman embraceor, probably from embracer, to embrace, incite, influence a court by illegal means, from Old French; see EMBRACE.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
