Product Description
A printer's error in the August 2005 printing of the Concise Oxford English-Arabic Dictionary of Current Usage led to the majority of the diacritics being deleted, creating errors and rendering the dictionary unusable. These faulty books have all been recalled and are now completely replaced with new, corrected books. This convenient pocket dictionary--an abridged and updated edition of the acclaimed Oxford English-Arabic Dictionary of Current Usage--is designed for both the English speaker learning Arabic and the Arabic speaker learning English. It records the different levels of usage found in newspapers, radio, television, and films, providing major Arabic dialectal equivalents for familiar, colloquial, and slang words. Ideal for the student or traveler, the dictionary includes: * Nearly 40,000 entries providing English headwords with multiple meanings and their nearest Arabic equivalent * For Arabic speakers: phonetic equivalents for headwords, phrases illustrating unexpected and alien idioms, and explanations of headwords denoting concepts new to the Arab world * For English speakers: vowels and diacritics included in the Arabic text, irregular plurals of nouns, and simple verb conjugations in the imperfect tense * Meticulously transcribed Arabic characters for easy reading
Customer Reviews:
Defects.......2006-11-10
I ordered this dictionary twice, and both times it came with severe printing defects (dots missing on many Arabic letters, making everything unreadable). I finally returned it and am contemplating what other dictionary to buy. Content-wise, it also didn't look so impressive, there were a lot of words you would think it should have that weren't in there.
Do Not Buy This Dictionary.......2006-08-21
This is a terrible dictionary. Many of the words are spelled incorrectly and many of the definitions, while technically correct, are absolutely nonsensical.
Shell out a little more for a lot more quality.......2006-05-02
i'm very sorry i bought this book. It may be concise, and it may be cheaper, but one shouldn't sacrifice spelling for saving a few dollars! The concise edition drops the dots off many of the letters, thus either misspelling the word or creating letters that don't exist. i borrowed the full-sized edition and found it to be fine. Don't waste your money and your sanity on this version!
The best one I have found.......2005-11-20
This is the best Arabic dictionary I have found so far, but I still have a couple complaints about it. There are a few things missing, like the names of countries, and sometimes the print is small and hard to read. The Al-Mawrid dictionary is more complete, but can be overwhelming, especially for new students, becuase when you look up an English word, it lists a whole bunch of Arabic words and it is hard to figure out which on is the right word. This dictionary, however, has very clear explaination on when to use what word. I would give it five stars if it were a little bit more comprehensive. For the serious Arabic student, this is the best English-Arabic dictionary out there.
For a companion to this, I suggest the Hans-Wehr. Someone complained that this dictionary only included English-Arabic, but that is common for serious acedemic dictionaries though, because it would be huge dictionary if both were included in one volume.
Not the best dictionary you can buy..........2005-07-30
While this dictionary does contain a lot of entries, it is English to Arabic only; there is no Arabic to English. It does however show the short vowels, though the script is a little frustratingly small. I took it back once I found out it was only a one-way dictionary. The Arabic Practical Dictionary by Hippocrene is much better (though it doesnt' show short vowels however).
Book Description
This is a major new edition of the world-famous Concise Oxford English Dictionary, published together with a fully up-to-date text of the dictionary on CD-ROM, containing over 240,000 words, phrases, and definitions, including 1,800 new words. It offers rich vocabulary coverage, with full treatment of World English, rare, historical, and archaic terms, as well as scientific and technical vocabulary, and provides hundreds of helpful notes on grammar and usage. The CD-ROM version of the dictionary offers full-text search functionality, instant look-up from WindowsRG documents, including email and the Internet, high-quality spoken pronunciations for thousands of words, and interactive educational word games, making it ideal for family use, as well as for homework and school use. New to this edition is a fascinating Word Histories feature, telling the often bizarre stories of the origins and development of hundreds of words. For example, did you know that the word grammar is related to glamour, or that cockney used to mean a spoilt child? This dictionary contains full appendices on topics such as alphabets, currencies, electronic English, and the registers of language, from formal to slang, plus a useful Guide to Good English with advice on grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Customer Reviews:
Not exactly what I'd hoped for..........2007-05-15
I am an English major and getting ready to go into a Master's degree. I had done extensive research on concise OED's and thought this one sounded the best. I was really hoping to get more backround info on words and more complete definitions. Perhaps there are too many words and just not enough pages! I am still happy to have it and have used it, but it is better for Boggle than anything so far!
Excellence.......2007-04-10
The delivery was quick, and the book in perfect shape. I enjoy ordering from Amazon because their website gives you a lot of choice, you know what you are getting, the price is good - it is just an all 'round good experience!
Good enough.......2007-01-09
This dictionary is complete and good enough for what I want. I am totally satisfied!
Concise is a good discription.......2006-11-04
The dictionary is a good quick reference for checking spelling or usage. Keep in mind that they the definitions are a lot shorter than a standard dictionary.
Many, very short (!) definitions.......2006-09-13
From the point of view of a learner of the English language (advanced level), as I am, I have to admit that this dictionary is not as good as I expected.
Of course, the amount of words and phrases is extensive with about 240,000. Nonetheless, this dictionary is not called 'concise' just for the fun of it. It is in some cases too concise, using defining words I don't even understand or which are the same as in the word I looked up in the first place.
Thus, my expressed recommendation goes to the Cambridge International Dictionary of English, which only uses a "strictly controlled 2000-word Defining Vocabulary" ensuring a high level of understanding.
Book Description
Authoritative and up to date, this eleventh edition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary on WindowsRG CD-ROM contains over 240,000 words, phrases, and definitions, including all the latest new words. It offers rich vocabulary coverage, with full treatment of World English, rare, historical, and archaic terms, as well as scientific and technical vocabulary, and provides hundreds of helpful notes on grammar and usage. This electronic version of the dictionary offers full-text search functionality, instant look-up from WindowsRG documents, including email and the Web, high-quality spoken pronunciations for thousands of words, and interactive educational word games, making it ideal for family, school, or office use. New to this edition is a fascinating Word Histories feature, telling the often bizarre stories of the origins and development of hundreds of words. For example, did you know that the word grammar is related to glamour, or that cockney used to mean a spoilt child? This dictionary also contains full appendices on topics such as alphabets, currencies, electronic English, and the registers of language, from formal to slang, plus a useful Guide to Good English with advice on grammar, punctuation, and spelling. In addition, the electronic edition is Curriculum Online accredited, so it is government approved for use in the classroom from Key Stage 3 upwards.
Customer Reviews:
My "desktop" dictionary.......2006-01-15
I used to use the Random House Unabridged as my computer dictionary. But the Win95 version didn't work with XP, and the XP version was painfully slow. After looking around I chose the Concise OED as a replacement. I've been very happy with it, and I recommend it to anyone who uses their computer to write.
Book Description
This dictionary provides coverage of 120,000 words and phrases, and over 190,000 translations. It includes completely up-to-date treatment of contemporary Russian and English, including amniocentesis, global warming, information superhighway, multimedia, streetwise, and time-share. There is extra in-text grammatical information; extended constructions, complementation, and difficult points of grammar. It records Russian as it is used today, as there is special emphasis on modern idioms and colloquial usage with numerous illustrative examples. There is specialized coverage of common abbreviations and acronyms such as APC, HRT, PC, OMOH, and CKB, and coverage of British and American English. New to this edition is a guide to Russian language and culture on the World-Wide-Web. A new guide to email and the Internet offers a unique gateway to language and culture in the Russian-speaking world. There is also a Thematic wordfinder. This entirely new thematic wordfinder brings together the essential vocabulary from a broad range of subject areas including the environment, society, business and industry, communication, media, and the arts. Specially designed as a reference section for writing, it covers the key topics recquired by regional exam boards.
Customer Reviews:
Review of the Concise Oxford.......2007-08-08
Very good as far as bilingual dictionaries go. Just regret that I should have got the larger ones. It has also good grammar tips.
Good dictionary, could be better.......2006-09-05
Regarding the comment about the absence of the word "children" - I checked my copy and sure enough, the plural isn't listed under "child". However, a Russian user looking under the Russian word for children will find the English word "children". I believe the omission probably has to do with this being primarily oriented toward English-speaking users. Irregular plurals of Russian words do seem to be listed at the main entry, e.g. the plural (actually plurals) of the word for "child".
A friend gave me a copy of this dictionary and I use it mainly as a supplement to my main dictionary (Katzner's). The advantages of this one are that you are more likely to find a word such as an irregularly conjugated verb when you don't know the root. I still would like to see more cross-references in this regard.
The disadvantages of this dictionary are that there are no helpful tables for declension/conjugation as found in Katzner's. Also, Katzner's has a useful section on proper nouns (geographical and people's names), though the Oxford does list some proper names in the main section. And as someone else mentioned, there is no indication when a Russian word isn't pronounced as expected from the spelling (Katzner's does show the pronunciation in these cases).
I bought a copy of this dictionary for a Russian-speaking friend who is studying English, but as I mentioned it does seem to be primarily oriented toward English-speaking users and does have some limitations for Russian speakers. All the explanatory text, for example, is in English. But I think the main limitation is that all the clues for variations in meaning of a given word are in English, in both the English-Russian and Russian-English sections. It would probably be adequate for a Russian speaker in determining what an English word means, even when there are multiple meanings, as the correct Russian word could be deduced from the context. However, to determine how to translate a Russian word into English when there are several options to choose from would be difficult.
A good reference dictionary.......2003-04-20
This is an excellent dictionary for students of Russian. It is well-organized, attractive, and I have to not find a word I need. However, it is pretty big. I wouldn't advise buying it as a travel ditionary.
Excellent.......2001-09-08
Very comprehensive and an ideal companion to your Russian studies. It appears to have all I need in terms of vocabulary at a beginners/intermediate level, although it could contain more contemporary slang (important I feel when learning a language you will be exposed to on a daily basis)
It is though the heaviest book I carry around daily and sometimes I could wish for a lighter dictionary!
not as good as I hoped..........2001-07-11
I have Oxford dictionaries in other languages and never found any problems with them. My Russian is not very good and perhaps that's why I notice some problems with this dictionary. It has some odd omissions. For instance, I tried looking up the Russian word for 'children' under the entry 'child' in the English-Russian section. The entry does NOT say that 'children' is the plural of child, in fact it doesn't mention the word 'children' anywhere. Nor does the entry include the Russian word for 'children.' And 'children' is not listed anywhere else in the English-Russian section. So some hapless Russian speaker using this dictionary would not learn that 'children' is the plural of 'child,' and would not be able to look up the word 'children' at all. Conversely, an English speaker would also not find the Russian word for 'children' by looking in the English-Russian section. Granted this may be an isolated example, but it does suggest that there may be some editing problems.
I also disliked the explanations in the front about the construction and meaning of dictionary entries. The explanations are a little too terse for those of us not well versed in Russian grammar. It would be nice to have at least a few examples written out in full. And as far as I could make out, a lot of the information about the Russian entries actually appeared under the discussion of English entries.
It would be nice to have a few more notes about pronunciation. As is, you would think that 'yevo' in Russian was pronounced 'yego' (as it is spelled) if all you had to go on was the information in the dictionary. Nor will you find information about consonants that aren't pronounced.
Other than that, the dictionary is nicely produced and well printed. It appears up-to-date, with lots of internet information. I am not able to make any intelligent comparisons of this dictionary with other Russian-English dictionaries. Although this seems to have a few shortcomings, it may well be a good choice for many readers.
One additional note: although another reviewer mentions conjugation tables, my copy of this dictionary has no grammatical tables of any kind (although they would have been useful).
Book Description
The Concise Oxford English Dictionary is the most popular dictionary of its kind around the world. In 2002, Oxford University Press published a revised tenth edition of the dictionary. Now, we are pleased to present this new edition along with the fully updated CD-ROM version, resulting in one
authoritative, affordable, and essential package.
Offering comprehensive coverage of current English vocabulary, the Concise Oxford English Dictionary includes more than 240,000 words, phrases, and definitions and hundreds of new words covering areas as diverse as e-commerce, technology, and fashion. The completely updated version of the CD-ROM
includes the fully revised edition of the A-Z text that can be easily installed on a hard drive for maximum accessibility.
Customer Reviews:
by Mary Boby-Smith Jones who lives in Capdacmis.......2005-08-15
i brought this dictionary last year and i found it really easy to look up the word........ kiss it and make it better dododododo sorry i got carried away as the t.v is on and an advert is on singing that song any way back to the reiview.
My friend said that the dictionary was a sad book full of words like apple or table but recently i found the word [...] in it and i have no idea what it means cos im thick. why is it called a thumb index cos its not about thumbs is it.
Best one volume dictionary around........2005-04-01
I bought this dictionary for all my nieces and nephews this year. It's soooooooooo much better than any junky Webster's Collegiate dictionary. You can actually find the words you don't recognize.
Too English.......2004-09-19
A very good dictionary and CD-ROM. The International pronunciation guide is, however, incomprehesible and of no use. I couldn't get pronunciation from this dictionary. Another major shortcoming is that it does not provide hyphenation breads.
Keep Shopping.......2004-07-18
The CD-ROM version of this dictionary is sorely done. The application looks like a program made for Windows 3.1 and does not even have the functionality of one. The dict. does not give a clue on where to hypenate words, which is the reason for buying it. The pronunciation guide uses Greek letters to make the sounds with no help on the Greek itself. The definitions are sparse, usually only a few words of description, and many have none at all. Most of the text is about the word root or history in latin, greek etc. This product is a big screw not worth 50 cents.
one of the best dictionary.......2004-04-18
the explanations are easy to understand. the dictionary is pretty comprehensive and covers over 240, 000 words. and it is easy to use too.
Book Description
Where did the words bungalow and assassin derive? What did nice mean in the Middle Ages? How were adder, anger, and umpire originally spelt? The answers can be found in this essential companion to any popular dictionary. With over 17,000 entries, this is the most authoritative and comprehensive guide to word origins available in paperback. Based on The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, the principal authority on the origin and development of English words, it contains a wealth of information about our language and its history.
Customer Reviews:
Perfect for the nonscholar.......2004-02-15
I agree with the earlier reviewers that this isn't the most thorough etymological dictionary available. But let's face it: most of us don't need weightier and more expensive resources than this one. In the ten years that I've owned the ODEE, I've used it hundreds of times, and only occasionally have I found it wanting. As someone who does a good bit of scriptural exegesis, I generally turn to the ODEE before dragging out the Greek lexicon or Latin dictionary. It can usually point me in the direction I need to go. A wonderful resource that should be on the shelf of anyone who loves books and words, especially since our fastfood culture has bred so much forgetfulness of the deep meaning of words.
Great, portable and does the job.......2000-06-19
I respect the reviews that this is by no means the last word in word origins. However, I have gotten more use out of this book than the other 5 dictionaries behind simply because I can bring it everywhere. Though some may find this a bit odd, I basically bring it on vacation as a second book -- especially in Europe where questions about them seem to crop up. So many more words will get hunted with this book because it will be handy when you need it.
A Little Too Concise to be Useful.......2000-04-05
Perhaps the main use of etymology references is to learn about words and how they have evolved into current usage. A good etymology reference like the Chambers / Barnhart will track the history of a word right back to its Proto-IndoEuropean roots. This is also what the Onions Oxford Etymology does. Now it is clear the Oxford didn't want to cannibalize sales of its classic Etymology Dictionary which defines about 25,000 words. This concise Etymology is a very large selection from the full Oxford, updated with some materials from the 2nd OED. What is missing in many of the etymologies is the word's full story. So, we have a good book with a decent collection that is not quite complete. IF you're looking for a good etymology at the same price, you'd do better with Ayto's Dictionary of Word Origins - only 8,000 words but provides a much more thorough treatment. If you're willing to splurge, the best etymology is the Barnhart, re-released as the Chambers Dictionary of Etymology. You get over 60,000 words, drawn almost entirely from US sources.
There are better Etymologies Available.......2000-04-03
First, this Concise Etymology from Oxford updates the mid-1960s Oxford Dictionary of Etymology, edited by Onions ... by adding some new etymologies from the Second OED. However, Oxford clearly did not want to compete with Onion's tome, which is still available in hardcover. So, what to do? This Concise edition, like the full edtion, defines about 17,000 words. The sacrifice you make getting this work is in the actual etymologies themselves. They simply are not thorough or exhaustive. In this Concise Edition, most word origins are not pushed all the way back to their Indo-European or Proto-Indo European roots - something that the similarly priced John Ayto's work does quite well (though with only 8,000 words). If I were to buy only one etymology dictionary, this would not be my first choice. On a budget I would get Ayto's and learn more about fewer words - and for a few dollars more I would recommend the Chamber's/Barnhart - which is far more scholarly and simply more interesting.
Book Description
Completely updated to include all the very latest vocabulary, this third edition of the Concise Oxford-Hachette French Dictionary contains coverage of over 175,000 words and phrases, and 270,000 translations. It offers a comprehensive correspondence guide with sample letters, emails, and CVs, plus fun and informative cultural notes on life in the French-speaking world. Now with a fresh, new page layout, this dictionary is easier to use than ever before, with a clear, colour text design and printed thumb tabs to make lookup even quicker. The Concise Oxford-Hachette French Dictionary is also available as a Curriculum Online accredited CD-ROM: Pop-up Oxford Hachette French Dictionary on CD-ROM (WindowsRG only), ISBN 0-19-860955-8.
Customer Reviews:
An excellent dictionary.......2006-01-28
This has been my main bilingual dictionary for many years. I have the 2nd edition, and imagine the 3rd edition will be as good or better. It is a very complete dictionary for the beginner and intermediate French learner and has many useful features. It is very user friendly. In addition it is a very sturdy dictionary that is still in very good condition after 3 or 4 years. I would recommend it to most people looking for a thorough dictionary.
Concise Oxford French Dictionary is very concise........2005-08-25
Not as thorough as I had hoped. If you'e looking for a tertiary-standard dictionary, get the bigger one.
Improve your French, express your ideas better.......2004-05-03
If you are studying French and need urgent help, don't waste your time and buy this dictionary now !. Do you think I'm a little overenthusiastic?. By no means!!. This dictionary is an essential "survival tool" if you want (or are forced to) learn French.
To start with, it is very easy to use, even for beginners. Moreover, it includes up-to-date vocabulary, so if you go to France you won't end up speaking as the French used to speak, 50 years ago. As if that were not enough, it also has many examples of different kinds of correspondence you might need to write (for example, in order to make a complaint, or to decline an invitation).
However, my favorite feature is a thematic wordfinder that helps the reader to express his ideas more easily. In the thematic wordfinder you will find the expressions that aid you when you need to structure your essays, and lists of vocabulary arranged according to themes. I think everybody "suffers" when his teacher gives him, as homework, a composition on natural disasters, commerce or something like that. The ideas are there, but you just cannot find the words... Well, with the wordfinder that is quite simple. In my opinion, this particular feature is useful not only for students of French, but also for students that have to write an essay in their native language about a subject that they don't know too much about. By taking advantage of the fact that this dictionary is bilingual, they can use adequate and specific language regarding the theme.
All in all, I highly recommend this dictionary. It will help you to improve your French, and you will learn to express your ideas better :)
Belen Alcat
Excellent dictionary -- also in CD-Rom!.......2003-12-02
An excellent dictionary--
Did you know that this also comes in a CD-Rom format that you can load onto your hard-drive? The CD-Rom version omits the sections on correspondence, French grammar, French pronunciation, and only includes the dictionary, but this is still a terrific help to anyone who works with French documents -- either reading or translating -- while on the computer!
Look for "The Pop-up Oxford-Hachette French Dictionary." It includes 250,000 translations, just like the hardcover book edition.
Incidently, Oxford University Press also makes CD-Rom dual language versions of EVERY European language. The easiest to find in North America are English, French-English, Spanish-English, and German-English, and these are all quite affordable.
All these dictionaries can be purchased individually in modules, and they link together, forming one drop down menu on your title bar. This is fantastic for anyone who frquently must translate from several different European languages. Harder to find, but still available (you might have to import them) are the Scandinavian languages and Italian. I also frequently use an English thesaurus CD-Rom, published by Oxford University Press, and it is excellent.
Wasn`t it OK?.......2000-10-11
The first bilingual dictionary to be compiled entirely from electronic databases of current language, making it the most comprehensive, reliable, and up-to-date reference available. The new edition provides the most recent vocabulary for both French and English. Best for the beginner who want to learn french fast.
Book Description
This new title from the celebrated Italian publisher Paravia, in association with Oxford University Press, is derived from the landmark Oxford-Paravia Italian Dictionary, published in 2001. It provides authoritative, up-to-the-minute coverage of over 175,000 words and phrases and 290,000 translations, making it the most authoritative Concise Italian Dictionary available. The dictionary also offers detailed advice on grammar and usage, as well as an extensive guide to correspondence that includes over 100 sample letters and CVs.
Customer Reviews:
great help.......2006-08-22
for people serious about italian, this dictionary is the best you can get with everything you'll need
Excellent Dictionary- Poor cover.......2006-05-11
I recently bought this dictioanry, it's very good and complete. The picture shown on Amazon though is misleading, it does not clearly indicate it is bilingual, in fact I bought it thinking it was monolingual- I should have guessed as the cover reads : Italian and not Italiano, but anyway, there's no indication of the fact.
Review from a 3rd year student of the Italian language........2006-03-11
I am a 3rd year student of the Italian language, and this dictionary is the best I've seen yet. There are over 2500 pages with literal and colloquial translations. I highly recommend it.
The Most Useful Italian-English Dictionary.......2003-05-28
Of the several large Italian-English dictionaries I own (some purchased in Italy), this one most frequently has just the word or expression I am looking for. It is particularly rich in sense indicators and has many Americanisms, despite its British-Italian origin. It's not as comprehensive as some of the others (published by Garzanti or Zanichelli, for instance), but it is the first big dictionary I turn to if a handier paperback fails me. Beware, however, there are numerous lumping errors in the codes referring to the model verb tables at the back of the book (where you are referred to a verb conjugated almost-but-not-quite like the verb in question).
My next dictionary--if the Paravia comes up short--is the recent bilingual dictionary published by Hoepli in Italy (Grande dizionario di inglese, edited by Fernando Picchi, ISBN 8820331020). It gives lots of grammar help of the kind usually found only in monolingual dictionaries written for Italians.
Update 9/18/06: The HarperCollins Sansoni Italian Unabridged Dictionary, Second Edition, is now a worthy competitor to the Oxford Paravia. These two are quite equivalent with minor differences of emphasis. Amazon has various listings for different editions of this dictionary. Look for the 2005 edition with blue headwords (ISBN 0060817747). Also, be aware that the second edition of the Oxford Paravia is due out shortly (ISBN 0199297754).
Book Description
Drawing on the major new edition of the highly acclaimed Oxford Spanish Dictionary published in 2003, this third edition of the Concise Oxford Spanish Dictionary contains up-to-date coverage of over 170,000 words and phrases, and 240,000 translations, with hundreds of new words in each language. New additions include bioterrorism, rate tart, spread betting, stability pact, and stealth tax. This new edition also includes the introduction of some popular features of the Oxford Spanish Dictionary such as a spread on text messaging in Spanish, and notes on the life and culture of countries of the Spanish-speaking world. The design has been transformed by the use of colour and a new presentation of the dictionary information, making this dictionary more accessible and easier than ever to use, and an essential tool for those who need an authoritative and concise guide to Spanish and English. The Concise Oxford Spanish Dictionary is also available as a Curriculum Online accredited CD-ROM: Pop-up Oxford Spanish Dictionary on CD-ROM (WindowsRG only), ISBN 0-19-860953-1.
Customer Reviews:
One of the best available.......2006-12-18
My Master's thesis was a review and rating of large Spanish-English dictionaries. Though the title says "concise," this work at 1500 pages falls under the category of large. I find it, like all the other Oxford dictionaries, to be a good choice.
Here are a few of the factors which distinguish a good bilingual dictionary from a bad one.
To begin with, ignore certain publishers' marketing ploys such as entry and translation counts. They say nothing about the value of the words chosen.
The first valid factor to consider is lexicographic technique. A bad dictionary simply lists translations. Take, for example, the entry in the Cassell's Spanish Dictionary under the English headword loop: "lazo, gaza, nudo; ojal, presilla, alamar; anillo; recodo, comba, curva, vuelta," etc. For the English reader writing in Spanish, this is hopelessly inadequate, as the dictionary provides no clue as to which translation to use in which situation.
Compare the treatment of the same word in the far superior American Heritage Spanish Dictionary. "(length of line) lazo; (coil) vuelta; (bend) curva; (circular path) vuelta, circuito; (fastener) presilla" etc. Here, the user is given glosses in the native language to assist in identifying the right word for the context. Example sentences are also a tremendous help. Oxford is excellent in this respect, presenting good information to guide users through the semantic and syntactic complexities of translation.
Second, a good dictionary should maintain an up-to-date lexicon, including such cultural and technological additions to the language as "baby sitter," "hostile takeover," "software," "flash drive." Oxford is a leader in this respect; its frequent revisions are more than mere window dressing and do a creditable job of covering the most recent additions to the language.
Third, idioms, slang, and cusswords can present real problems to the language learner, and a dictionary needs to handle them in a clear and frank fashion. This dictionary gets it right, giving stylistic equivalents for translations as well as clear advice to the user.
The Oxford Concise has a practical "language in use" section, which gives sample formats for correspondence as well as functions such as introduction, exposition, agreement, and disagreement.
Be careful when you choose a bilingual dictionary, as some of the choices--Cassell's and Vox, for example--are downright terrible. The field of large dictionaries stays relatively static over time, and the best choices in it by far are Oxford, Collins, and Larousse.
Book Description
This new dictionary packs an extraordinary amount of information into a handy book that is practical, dependable, affordable, and easy to read. Based on the groundbreaking flagship dictionary of Oxford's US Dictionaries program, the New Oxford American Dictionary, this concise edition includes more than 180,000 entries and definitions, complete with pronunciations, parts of speech, syllabification, inflected forms, and derivatives. All Oxford American dictionaries use an easy-to-use respelling system to show how entries are pronounced. It uses simple, familiar markings to represent common American English sounds. The Concise Oxford American Dictionary is a convenient and complete dictionary for school, work, and home. The dictionary includes Usage Notes that give helpful information on correct English; hundreds of Word Histories that provide fascinating background on the lives of words; more than 300 carefully chosen illustrations; and a handy Ready Reference section with information about weights and measures, chemical elements, U.S. states and presidents, punctuation, frequently misspelled words, and much more.
Customer Reviews:
Concise Oxford American Dictionary.......2007-02-21
This book came in 3 days, in brand new, excellent condition and at an excellent price. It is real value for the money.
A Bit Too Concise.......2006-06-25
I like the size, but I prefer the definitions and content of the American Heritage Dictionary.
why can't this dictionary be as good as Concise OED? .......2006-04-25
I bought this dictionary hoping to find it as useful and thorough as Concise OED (ISBN: 0198608640)or even better. I was mistaken.
What struck me first is that the shape of the dictionary isn't handy compared to Concise OED and to any concise dictionary for that matter.
As for the content, the definitions are too long for a concise dictionary and there are no usage notes under/above the headwords. Instead they are grouped at the end of the dictionary (FOR WHAT???). If this dictionary is based on NOAD 2nd edition I'd imagine there should be some usage boxes (Concise OED does have usage notes right next to the headwords). In the reference section there is only a list of American Presidents but not of British or Canadian PMs, or British Kings (COED has them all plus PMs of NEw ZEaland and Australia). Wouldn't hurt adding those in the next edition.
The number of words is smaller (180,000) than in COED (240,00)
There are some pluses, though:
- illustrations (which COED lacks)
- READY REFERENCE SECTION which includes: commonly misspelled words, common cliches to avoid, redundant expressions, how words are built:prefixes, suffixes and combining forms
- quite good word histories
- it's chepaer ($19.95) than COED ($29.95)
Still, it is a dissapointment to an avid dictionary user and word lover(like myself)
I'd recommend buying COED for immediate language reference.
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- Caesar: Life of a Colossus
- What Do You Know About Accounting
- You Matter More Than You Think: What A Woman Needs to Know about the Difference She Makes
- Accounting: Concepts and Applications
- Blind Spots: Achieve Success by Seeing What You Can't See
- Black Diamond
- Financial Documents and Accounting for Legal Professionals
- Watching the Watchers: Corporate Governance for the 21st Century
- A Blessed Event: A Novel
English (All)
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Arabic-English Dictionary: The Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic
201 Arabic Verbs (201 Verbs Series)
The Oxford Picture Dictionary English/Arabic: English-Arabic Edition (Oxford Picture Dictionary Program)
Arabic Verbs and Essentials of Grammar: A Practical Guide to the Mastery of Arabic
Answer Key to Al-kitaab Fii Ta Callum Al-carabiyya: A Textbook for Arabic
