The Describer's Dictionary: A Treasury of Terms & Literary Quotations

by
David Grambs and Ellen S. Levine
Published in 2014
by W. W. Norton

Unlike your typical dictionary, this one concerns itself primarily with the observable—from shapes, to buildings, to people. With a reverse definition-to-term format, it is easy to find the descriptive word you're seeking. This expanded and updated edition includes examples of passages from authors including Khaled Hosseini, Zadie Smith, and Donna Tartt.