If you right-click on a word or meaning in the Visual Thesaurus display (command-click on Macintosh computers), you will see a "pop-up" menu that shows the various actions that can be taken on that word. Not all actions will be available on every word and/or meaning.

Pronounce Word. Hear the word spoken out loud. (Requires an Internet connection)

Search Internet. Use your default web browser to search the Internet for web sites that are related to this word. (Requires an Internet connection and an Internet browser)  Continue reading...

Greetings from new editor Ben Zimmer. You may have noticed some changes around here recently. We've been working to make the Visual Thesaurus a comfier, more personalized experience. The customized word lists have been such a big hit that we're now giving every subscriber a profile page, which you can tailor as you like.  Continue reading...

What's in a name, at least a restaurant name? Lucky for us, a professor has written a fascinating paper that explains how "names of contemporary dining and drinking establishments serve as semantic and/or humorous reflections of societal mores." Read it here.

In this lesson, students will learn about the fundamental system of scientific classification: binomial nomenclature. Teams of students will compete in a binomial name scavenger hunt using the Visual Thesaurus and the online "Catalogue of Life" to identify two-part binomial names within specific genus categories.  Continue reading...

These blogs will nourish your soul with haikus both humble and profound.

Haiku Poet

dagosan's haiku diary

Miso Soup

Haiku Workshop

Writing for the web has its own unique rules -- and limitations. How do you master this form of communication and put together powerful web copy? These books can help:

Letting Go of the Words

Killer Web Content

Writing for the Web

Hot Text

Web Copy That Sells