WORCESTER, Joseph Emerson, philologist, born in Bedford, New Hampshire, 24 August, 1784; died in Cambridge, Massachusetts, 27 October, 1865. His father, Jesse Worcester (1761-1834), wrote much for the press, and left in manuscript "Chronicles of Nissitissit." The son worked on a farm in his youth, but cultivated studious habit, determined to obtain a liberal education, and at the age of "twenty-five entered Yale, where two years later, 1811, he was graduated. He was a teacher in Salem, Massachusetts, for several years, and passed two years at Andover, but in ", 1819 removed to Cambridge, which was thenceforth his home. His life was long and quiet, with hardly an incident except the publication of his books. His first work was "A Geographical Dictionary, or Universal Gazetteer, Ancient and Modern" (2 vols., Andover, Massachusetts. 1817), of which he published an enlarged edition in 1823. He also published "A Gazetteer of the United States" (1818):" Elements of Geography, Ancient and Modern" (1819), which passed through several editions ; " Sketches of the Earth and its Inhabitants " (1823) ; "Elements of History, Ancient and Modern, accompanied by an Historical Atlas" (1826), which was used extensively as a text-book : " Epitome of History " (1827); and " Outlines of Scripture Geography" (1828). These works were notable for their accuracy, skilful condensation, and agreeable style. In 1"825 Dr. Worcester read before the American academy of sciences a paper on "Longevity and the Expectation of Life in the United States, Relating more Particularly to the State of New Hampshire, with Some Comparative Views in Relation to Foreign Countries," which was published in the "Transactions." His work in lexicography began with an edition of "Johnson's Dictionary, as improved by Todd and abridged by Chalmers, with Walker's Pronouncing Dictionary Combined" (1828). In 1829, much against his inclination, he was induced to prepare an abridgment of Noah Webster's "American Dictionary," and in 1830 he published his own "Comprehensive Pronouncing and Explanatory English Dictionary." The next year he visited Europe, where he collected philological works and kept a journal, which is still in manuscript. From 1831 to 1843 he edited the "American Almanac." In 1846 he published a " Universal and Critical Dictionary of the English Language," of which a pirated edition appeared in London with a garbled preface and a statement on the title-page that it was "compiled from the materials of Noah Webster, LL.D., by Joseph E. Worcester," whereupon Dr. Worcester published a pamphlet exposing the fraud. In 1847-'9 he was unable to use his eyes, but they were restored after he had undergone two operations for cataract. Enlarged editions of his " Comprehensive Dictionary" were issued in 1847, 1849, and 1855. All this work was preparatory to his great quarto "Dictionary of the English Language" (Boston, 1860), in which he had the assistance of many collaborators, especially for the explanations of technical terms. This was the first dictionary that used illustrations. The difference between his system and Webster's, briefly indicated, was this" that Worcester endeavored simply to represent the English language as it was, while Webster tried to improve it and set it forth as he thought it ought to be. The successive editions of Webster's work have receded steadily from his radical plan, so that now there is but little essential difference between the two great dictionaries. Dr. Worcester was retiring, modest, benevolent, and deeply religious. He married, in 1841, Amy Elizabeth, daughter of Professor Joseph McKean, of Harvard. They had no children. He was a member of numerous learned societies, and received the degree of LL. D. from Brown in 1847 and from Dartmouth in 1856. Ezra Abbott prepared a memoir of him, which was read before the American academy of sciences the year after his death.