Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The entire number of copies of a publication issued at one time or from a single set of type.
  • noun A single copy from this group.
  • noun The form in which a publication is issued.
  • noun A version of an earlier publication having substantial changes or additions.
  • noun All the copies of a specified issue of a newspaper.
  • noun A broadcast of a radio or television news program.
  • noun The entire number of like or identical items issued or produced as a set.
  • noun Any of the various or successive forms in which something is offered or presented.
  • noun One that closely resembles an original; a version.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To edit; publish.
  • noun The act of editing.
  • noun An edited copy or issue of a book or other work; a recension, or annotated reproduction: as, Milman's edition of Gibbon's “Rome”; the Globe edition of Shakspere.
  • noun A concurrent issue or publication of copies of a book or some similar production; the number of books, etc., of the same kind published together, or without change of form or of contents; a multiplication or reproduction of the same work or series of works: as, a large edition of a book, map, or newspaper; the work has reached a tenth edition; the folio editions of Shakspere's plays.
  • noun Figuratively, one of several forms or states in which something appears at different times; a copy; an exemplar.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A literary work edited and published, as by a certain editor or in a certain manner
  • noun The whole number of copies of a work printed and published at one time.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A literary work edited and published, as by a certain editor or in a certain manner.
  • noun The whole number of copies of a work printed and published at one time; as, the first edition was soon sold.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an issue of a newspaper
  • noun the form in which a text (especially a printed book) is published
  • noun something a little different from others of the same type
  • noun all of the identical copies of something offered to the public at the same time

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English edicion, version, translation, from Latin ēditiō, ēditiōn-, publication, production, from ēditus, past participle of ēdere, to publish, produce; see edit.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Latin ēditiō, from ēdere ("to publish").

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Examples

  • I am acquainted with the Bodleian copy of the original edition of this rare work; but I wish to put the Query -- Where is a copy of the _counterfeit edition_ of Serpilius to be seen, either with its original title-page, or as it appeared afterwards, when the mask was thrown off?

    Notes and Queries, Number 33, June 15, 1850 Various

  • •£atw edition of Bailey's Dictionary, and not in the folio, piibitibui. either by him or Scott; for we are informed, that many perfons who have the latter (and naturally fappoiing that it contained ail that was* in the former) have fearched for tbofe words in vain in that edition* and have been led to imagine, that the Reviewer was no; fo accuraJA in his autbotity as he ought to have been.

    The Monthly Review 1782

  • We sold our first edition of five million copies inside of three months, and got out another edition of two million, and a specially illustrated holiday edition and an _edition de luxe_, and "The

    The Wit and Humor of America, Volume III. (of X.) Various 1887

  • In fact, the disagreements which are rooted in both philosophical and economic differences, have spawned the term "edition wars."

    Wired Top Stories MJ Harnish 2012

  • The official Latin edition is Liturgia Horarum which can be purchased in a four volume edition from Paxbook.

    More on the Divine Office: Private Recitation by the Laity 2009

  • The Penguin edition is not the text made famous by Gibbon's friend Lord Sheffield, but a new (well, 1983) treatment of the manuscripts by Penguin's editor Betty Radice, who steps from behind the curtain and explains her methodology in an interesting introduction.

    2009 books poll reading_gibbon 2010

  • The Penguin edition is not bad at all, with decent footnotes drawing attention to where Caesar is nuancing the story to make himself look better (the book was published shortly after his return to Rome, engaged in the struggle which ended with him becoming Dictator in 49 BC).

    The Dodecahedra nwhyte 2008

  • Also collected in this edition is the first crossover between The Darkness and Witchblade in the fan favorite “Family Ties” storyline.

    Top Cow Comics for January 2010 | Major Spoilers - Comic Book Reviews and News 2009

  • Neither edition is available to order yet, and the Subterranean Press limited edition sold out in pre-orders.

    I’m one of the “and many others” – Brian Keene 2009

  • This edition is a Collected Letters with an extra element, for it constitutes every known letter by Bloomfield himself, plus a selection of the letters sent to him by literary correspondents and those exchanged between members of his circle.

    Introduction: Tim Fulford 2009

Comments

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  • In the rare/antique book trade: all the copies of a book printed from the same plates or typesetting. Compare with issue.

    February 22, 2007

  • This word clearly comes from edit, but I can't quite see how.

    February 23, 2007

  • Actually, I believe edit is a back-formation of editor.

    February 23, 2007