You also have access to the Merriam-Webster Thesaurus. The Word for the Wise section contains transcripts of the two-minute radio programs written and produced by Kathleen Taylor of WAMC, the National Public Radio affiliate in Albany, New York. There's even an M-W Message Board that serves as an online community for people collecting unusual words, seeking obscure definitions, and trading language trivia. Other online services do not offer as many features for word lovers, but you usually can find at least a digital dictionary. The American Heritage contains detailed definitions for more than 303,000 words, phrases, named people, and geographic locations.
Many entries also contain quotations, idioms, synonyms, antonyms, usage notes, and regional notes.
The American Heritage Talking Dictionary for Windows is available on CD-ROM from Softkey International. It offers definitions for more than 200,000 words, and if your computer has a sound card, it can pronounce more than 72,000 of them. The New Thesaurus. If you're a member of the Microsoft Network, you can download a free copy of the Microsoft Bookshelf Intro Edition. Prodigy offers access to several reference works through its Homework Helper feature.