A Dictionary of Biology is an up-to-date reference work explains several thousand specialized words that allow for empirical approaches to the biological sciences. It includes more than bare defi nitions, including information about most of the things named so as to convey their signifi cance in biological discussion. M. Abercrombie, C. J. Hickman, and M. L. Johnson in effect interpret this language as it is actually used, emphasizing customary usage rather than etymology.