• Websterism

    Origin

    Webster + -ism

    Full definition of Websterism

    Noun

    Websterism

    (plural Websterisms)
    1. (dated) An orthographic convention due to Noah Webster (1758-1843), American lexicographer and spelling reformer.The spelling theater for theatre is a Websterism.
      • 1860, The North American ReviewAgain, the spelling of such words as "center" and "traveler" is not an Americanism, though to be found in a few American books, but a Websterism...
      • 1881, Isaac Pitman, Pitman's Journal of Commercial Education...this improvement will no longer figure as an Americanism or a Websterism.
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