Ntc's Dictionary of Changes in Meanings (National Textbook Language Dictionaries)

English is a language that never ceases to change. Over the centuries old words have acquired new, sometimes unexpected, meanings. Readers of NTC's Dictionary of Changes in Meaning may be surprised to learn that upset originally meant "set up," bully once meant "darling," and with once meant "against." Author Adrian Room also reveals the origins of many common English words. A grocer, for example, was so called because he sold items "by the gross." And a secretary acquired that name because he or she was "entrusted with secrets."The entries in NTC's Dictionary of Changes in Meaning not only supply the different meanings of a word and offer examples of their use, but also tell when each meaning entered the English language. Readers can thus trace the history of a word right up to present day usage.