Product Description

Collins English Dictionary 0007232306

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #336790 in Books
• Brand: Collins
• Published on: 2006-03-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 1888 pages

Features

• Collins English Dictionary 0007232306

Amazon.co.uk Review
Collins English Dictionary has evolved into a glorious great slab of a reference book since its relatively modest first appearance in 1979. The 2003 version, rooted in the Bank of English, a 524-million word database launched in 1991, is the sixth edition.

Strong on clear definitions, derivations, cross-referencing, acronyms, technical and scientific terms and geographical place names, Collins English Dictionary also includes occasional boxed "language notes". Thus, for example, after "mitigate" we are usefully reminded that "Mitigate is sometimes used where militate is meant: 'His behaviour militates (not mitigates) against his chances of promotion.'" Interestingly, users of English are evidently becoming more relaxed about their language. Seventy words previously deemed taboo, including "arse," "crap" and "wank" are now described merely as slang. Perhaps rows of asterisks will soon be a thing of the past. Language changes continually and so do attitudes to it. There is a distinct sense of celebration in the latest Collins English Dictionary because English is one of the richest and most diverse of the world's languages and it is rapidly becoming a global lingua franca.

Jeremy Butterfield and his colleagues have made a splendid job of recording exactly where English is now. We may need to know what a "sex text" or a "dead-cat bounce" is today but, perhaps, in the quite near future such terms will fall out of use. That's why dictionaries need to be continuously updated, leaving earlier editions as reference works for language historians to study. It's also what makes dictionaries in general and Collins English Dictionary in particular so fascinating and why word lovers need the latest version on their shelves. --Susan Elkin

Synopsis
Now in colour, "Collins English Dictionary" is a rich source of words for everyone who loves language. Not only is the dictionary comprehensive and authoritative, but it also offers outstanding coverage of world, regional and dialect English. Including a much wider range of words than ever before, the extensive coverage of geographical, scientific, and technical entries has been updated by our team of leading academic experts. Fully-revised language notes give advice on using the right word in the right place, and thousands of word histories trace the roots of modern English. All this has been complemented with a refreshingly clutter-free design, which is easy to use and easy on the eye, taking you straight to the information you need with the minimum of fuss. The features include: have confidence - discover all the latest words as they appear in the language; get it right - you can rely on Collins; all our definitions, examples, idioms and usage notes are based on the Collins Word Web - our unrivalled and constantly updated 2.5 billion-word database of today's English; and get there fast - accessible brand-new layout that's easy on the eye, guiding you quickly to what you want.

The other titles include: "Collins English Dictionary: Complete and Unabridged" and "Collins English Dictionary Desktop Edition" (ISBN 0-00-716334-7). Words are tools for life. And a "Collins Dictionary" makes them work for you.

Customer Reviews

The best single-volume English dictionary
The eighth edition of the Collins English Dictionary is a hefty single-volume hardback. For the first time contains colour inside (blue for the words being defined, black for the definitions). The typefaces used (Collins Fedra Sans and Fedra Serif) are the most attractive of any dictionary.

In terms of the substance, there is little difference between the Collins and The Oxford Dictionary of English, but the Collins dictionary is more aesthetically pleasing. Both The Penguin English Dictionary and The Chambers Dictionary are good dictionaries, but it is worth bearing in mind that the Penguin contains fewer words than the others mentioned here (though it is less expensive) and the definitions in the Chambers Dictionary are less clearly laid out than in the other dictionaries.

Comprehensive and Profound

This is the best English dictionary one can buy for complex and obscure words and always has those rare and obsolete words one finds in Victorian novels that seem, so often, to escape the Oxford. I do the : 'Guardian;' 'Times;' and 'Telegraph;' Crosswords and will nearly always find words in this Dictionary that unfortunately, again, escape the Oxford. New editions assimilate much of modern language so that one has a contemporaneous and historical literary blend that will satisfy most requirements from the most basic, common reader to the specialist, esoteric academic.

My new best pal!
This is The Daddy! I compared this with Oxford, Chambers and Penguin and for me it came out a clear winner. Very clear and includes all those obscure words that the others overlook. It's great value at this price and eats crosswords for breakfast. Just don't drop it on your foot!