Compendious Dictionary of the English Language.

by Noah Webster

In which Five Thousand Words are added to the number found in the Best English Compends; the Orthography is, in some instances, corrected; the Pronunciation marked by an Accent or other suitable Direction; and the Definitions of many Words amended and improved. To Which Are Added For The Benefit Of The Merchant, the Student and the Traveller, 1.—Tables of the Moneys of most of the commercial nations of the world, with the value expressed in Sterling and Cents. II.—Tables of Weights and Measures, ancient and modern, with the proportion between the several weights used in the principle cities of Europe. III.—The Divisions of Time among the Jews, Greeks and Romans, with a Table exhibiting the Roman manner of dating. IV—An official List of the Post-Offices in the United States, with the States and Counties in which they are respectively situated, and the distance of each from the
seat of Government. V.—The Number of Inhabitants in the United States, with the amount of Exports. IV.—New and interesting Chronological Tables of remarkable Events and Discoveries.

First published January 1, 1806

About the author

Noah Webster, Jr. (October 16, 1758 – May 28, 1843), was a lexicographer, textbook pioneer, English-language spelling reformer, political writer, editor, and prolific author. He has been called the "Father of American Scholarship and Education". His blue-backed speller books taught five generations of American children how to spell and read, secularizing their education. According to Ellis (1979) he gave Americans "a secular catechism to the nation-state".

Webster's name has become synonymous with "dictionary" in the United States, especially the modern Merriam-Webster dictionary that was first published in 1828 as An American Dictionary of the English Language. He is considered one of the Founding Fathers of the nation.