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Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary

February 10, 2012

Project::Noah

It is not only important, but, in a degree necessary, that the people of this country, should have an American Dictionary of the English language; for, although the body of the language is the same as in England, and it is desirable to perpetuate that sameness, yet some differences must exist. Language is the expression of ideas; and if the people of one country cannot preserve an identity of ideas, they cannot retain an identity of language.

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(1) Word.

caliber

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Definitions

(1) Word.

caliber

(5) Words.

bore
caliber
caliver
callipers
carronade

Webster

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C › caliber

1828 Definition

CALIBER, n.

1. The diameter of a body; as the caliber of a column, or of a bullet.

2. The bore of a gun, or the extent of its bore.

Caliber-compasses, calibers, or callipers, a sort of compasses made with arched legs to take the diameter of round bodies, as masts, shot, &c. The legs move on an arch of brass, on which are marked the inches and half inches, to show how far the points of the compasses are opened asunder.

Caliber-rule, Gunners Callipers, an instrument in which a right line is so divided as that the first part being equal to the diameter of an iron or leaden ball of one pound weight, the other parts are to the first as the diameters of balls of two, three, four, &c. Pounds, are to the diameter of a ball of one pound. It is used by engineers, to determine, from a balls weight, its diameter or caliber and vice versa.

1913 Definition

Caliber (caliber)

(?)

Cal"i*ber

[F. calibre, perh. fr. L. qualibra of what pound, of what weight; hence, of what size, applied first to a ball or bullet; cf. also Ar. qlib model, mold. Cf. Calipers, Calivere.]

The diameter of the bore, as a cannon or other firearm, or of any tube; or the weight or size of the projectile which a firearm will carry; as, an 8 inch gun, a 12-pounder, a 44 caliber.

The caliber of empty tubes.
Reid.

A battery composed of three guns of small caliber.
Prescott.

* The caliber of firearms is expressed in various ways. Cannon are often designated by the weight of a solid spherical shot that will fit the bore; as, a 12-pounder; pieces of ordnance that project shell or hollow shot are designated by the diameter of their bore; as, a 12 inch mortar or a 14 inch shell gun; small arms are designated by hundredths of an inch expressed decimally; as, a rifle of .44 inch caliber.

The diameter of round or cylindrical body, as of a bullet or column.

Fig.: Capacity or compass of mind.

Burke.

Caliber compasses. See Calipers. -- Caliber rule, a gunner's calipers, an instrument having two scales arranged to determine a ball's weight from its diameter, and conversely. -- A ship's caliber, the weight of her armament.

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Project::Noah

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The foundation for American Heritage Access [AHA] strives to capture the essence of American culture with an intent to make early American manuscripts accessible to modern society. We believe that the successful future of this country is dependent on honoring and respecting its past. In order to achieve this ideal, several projects will be introduced and executed. The first initiatives of Project::Noah will involve the accessibility of the 1828 American dictionary.

Vision::Reprint

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The first vision, Vision::Reprint, has an intent to make a modern printing of the first dictionary of the American language available to the public for under $25. The first task, Task::Access, involves the digitizing of the original 1828 dictionary. The dictionary is available in microfilm (American Culture Series, Reel 335.6-336.1, Michigan University Microfilms) at many universities. To digitize the microfilm as a batch process requires a special scanner.

Vision::Redesign

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The second vision, Vision::Redesign, has an intent to improve the current online accessibility to the 1828 dictionary. Beyond the Task::XML, other tasks related to this Vision::Redesign include identifying features and functionality for this new website. In addition, plugins will be discussed and created to make the dictionary accessible in other ways: iPhone, Google widget, Firefox Add-on, etc.

Vision::Recapture

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The third vision, Vision::Recapture, has an intent to evoke the importance of Noah Webster in our American Heritage. This vision will manifest itself in a commissioned painting of Noah Webster. The process involved will require the input from concerned Americans. The final commission painting will be derived from initial sketches and digital compositions. Feedback from the community is essential for this vision's success throughout the entire process.

February 10, 2012