Smith, Sir William

cla ical and biblical scholar, born in London; distinguished himself at the university there and took a course of law at Gray's Inn, but followed his bent for scholarship, and in 1840-42 i ued his great "Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities," following it up with the "Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology" and the "Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography"; did eminent service to the cause of education by a series of popular editions of Greek and Latin texts, school grammars, dictionaries, .; not le valuable are his "Dictionary of the Bible," .; was editor of the Quarterly Review from 1867, and in 1892 received a knighthood (1813-1893).