This book is a comprehensive guide for finding the right word quickly and easily.

Rather than presenting a reverse list of words in endless sequence and strictly alphabetical order, this Reverse English Dictionary considers the structure and formation of words, grouping them together in sections and subdivisions. This way of looking at words from behind and comparing similar word endings reveals new and unaccustomed aspects of the structure of words and their formation, illustrating the enormous variety of the English language.

Fahey's Wordsmith... is a unique addition to the range of dictionaries and thesauri available today. It contains the less common equivalents or the related adjectives, group names, -ologies, -pathies, phobias, prefixes or suffixes of more than 4,000 basic English words and expressions. In passing, it provides an introduction to the classical etymology of the language for readers who don't have a detailed knowledge of Latin and Greek. The Wordsmith is formatted to appeal to the casual browser. But it is also a serious work of reference that will find a place in libraries and newspaper offices, and on the shelves of writers, teachers, students, crossword solvers, and all lovers of words.

A newly updated edition of the dictionary features more than 200,000 definitions, as well as revised charts and tables, proofreaders' marks, synonym lists, word histories, and context examples.