BookenDeX — Better Discovery eXperience
Cover of Abbreviations dictionary
Book details

Abbreviations dictionary

abbreviations, acronyms, anonyms, appellations, computer terminology, contractions, criminalistic and data-processing terms, eponyms, geographical equivalents, government agencies, historical, musical, and mythological characters, nations of the world, initialisms, medical and military terms, nicknames, ports of the world, short forms, slang shortcuts, signs & symbols, superlatives, winds of the world, zip coding, zodiacal signs

by Ralph De Sola

Published 1981966 pagesISBN 978-0-4440-0139-9

This new international seventh edition contains over 250,000 entries (23,000 of them are new to this edition) of abbreviations, acronyms, appellations, contractions, eponyms, geographic equivalents, initials and slang shortcuts. It covers such vastly diverse topics as computer jargon, earthquake data, English grammar and usage, international conversions, medical terminology, wedding anniversaries and postal coding. New addenda to this edition include euphemisms, British and Irish county abbreviations, dysphemistic place names, international vehicle license letters, prisons of the world and their toponyms, and much else. The dictionary is a current and easily accessible resource for locating some of the most elusive and confusing elements in our language. ISBN 0-444-00807-1: $47.50 (For use only in the library).

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Nonfiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Full BookenDeX details

What the reading experience may hold

A fuller profile for choosing with more confidence—not just another copy of the preview.

Themes to notice

Nonfiction

Use these as starting points rather than limits; the most memorable books often stretch beyond their catalog labels.

Content notes

No specific content concerns can be confirmed from the available English catalog information. Consult a publisher or reader-supplied guide when detailed warnings matter.

These notes are inferred from available catalog information and may not be complete. Check a publisher or reader-supplied guide if you need comprehensive warnings.

Reading experience

Balanced tone · Urgent pace

Best when you want to settle into a longer reading experience.

Who it may suit

A good fit if…

Readers looking for a substantial, immersive commitment with room for a world or argument to unfold.

At a glance

This book's DNA

A visual estimate based on this edition's categories, description, and length. Select a star to explore the signals.

ToneBalanced
LuminousDark

This signal is descriptive, not a rating. It helps compare the kind of reading experience this edition may offer.

No plot details

Spoiler-Free Emotional Arc

A broad estimate of the book’s emotional rhythm, shown without story events or outcomes.

Spoiler-free
12345
PeakRelative emotional intensity
Abbreviations dictionaryRalph De Sola
Heightened4.2/5

This visualization is an interpretive estimate based on catalog description, categories, tone, pace, and content signals. It does not describe specific scenes.

Before you choose

A quick reading snapshot

Edition facts and catalog signals to help you decide whether this book fits what you want to read next.

Reading lengthA longer, immersive read966 pages in this edition
Publication eraModernFirst published or edition dated 1981
Primary categoryNonfictionExplore similar books below
ISBN-13
978-0-4440-0139-9
Language
English
Edition record
OL22103298M
BookenDeX editorial lens

A more thoughtful way into this book

This guide uses the edition details and category signals above to help you choose deliberately. It does not replace the author's work or a full review.

Good to know

Best when you want to settle into a longer reading experience.

Begin with its place in Nonfiction, then notice where the book resists that label.

Try this reading approach

Read for connection, not completion.

Mark one passage that sharpens the book's central concern and one that complicates it. That tension often reveals more than a quick summary.

Three questions to carry with you

  1. Whose perspective organizes the story, and whose perspective remains outside it?
  2. Which sources or lived experiences carry the author’s central argument?
  3. How does the book change the way you understand its larger subject?

Editorial framework by Wesley Bryan, BookenDeX Founder and Editor.