June 2007

Notable and Quotable: Harriet Beecher Stowe

Supposedly, Abraham Lincoln, when introduced to Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1862, remarked, "So this is the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war!" The quotation is apocryphal, but words from Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin and who was born on June 14, 1811 — turn up at a half dozen places in the Unabridged.

Interested in finding words from a favorite author in the dictionary? It's easy. Select either the Unabridged or the Collegiate as a reference source, and click on Advanced Search. Type the last name of the author in the Author field, and click Search.

huffy adjective
"rather huffy and somewhat on the high-and-mighty order with him"

lop down verb
"thought she'd just lop down a few minutes on the old sofa"

metaphysical adjective
"his metaphysical talent"

nipping adjective
"in her most nipping tones"

slash verb
" slashing his whip so near the horse that the creature was frightened"

tail noun
"her woolly hair was braided in sundry little tails"

thee pronoun
" thee still thinks of going to Canada"


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