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Physicist Points Out 99-Year-Old Dictionary Error
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May 13, 2010 2:52 p.m. EST
Topics: human interest, offbeat, curiosity, World
Hansen Sinclair - AHN News Reporter
Brisbane, Australia (AHN) - Oxford English Dictionary has agreed to correct a 99-year-old definition error after an Australian physicist discovered the mistake while doing research and brought it to their attention.
Dr. Stephen Hughes, from the University of Technology in Brisbane, said he noticed the definition error for the word “siphon” while researching an article for science teachers.
According to Hughes, the definition states siphons function due to atmospheric pressure, but in actuality, they function due to gravity.
Hughes sent a letter to Oxford University Press concerning the error, which was first published in 1911, and he got a letter back stating they will make the change in the next edition.
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