Written virtually single-handedly over a seven-year period by a revered dean of English
letters, Johnson's Dictionary first appeared in 1755. A remarkable monument to the vigor
and variety of our language and to the genius of its author, it served as the standard
dictionary for more than 150 years and formed the basis for all subsequent English
dictionaries. This modern version reduces the original 2,300 pages of definitions and literary
examples to a more manageable length, retaining the verbal pleasure and historical …

IT is almost universally acknowledged, among learned men, that the definitions in Johnson's
Dictionary are superiour to all others; and it is also conceded, that Walker's pronunciation is,
with few exceptions, the proper standard. A Dictionary, in which the excellences of these two
authors are combined, must, therefore, be the best adapted to the present state of the
English language. A very valuable work has been executed on this plan, and lately
published in Boston. It is entitled" Johnson's and Walker's English Dictionaries combined," …