The renowned author Ambrose Bierce produced classic works in a range of genres, from fantasy and horror to realistic tales drawn from his experience in the Civil War. Among his most beloved books is The Devil’s Dictionary, a work of wry humor that remains one of the funniest assessments of American language and manners. Through epigrams, essays, vignettes, and verse, Bierce skewers religion, class, politics, romance, and more.

Included, you’ll find such pithy definitions as:

·      Acquaintance, n.: A person whom we know well enough to borrow from but not well enough to lend to.

·      Bride, n.: A woman with a great future behind her.

·      Consult, v.: To seek another's approval of a course already decided on.

And many others.