Cambridge Dictionary of American English [Paperback]

Sidney I. Landau (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 13, 1999 | ISBN-10: 0521477611 | ISBN-13: 978-0521477611 0

The authoritative guide to American English as it's really used today. Based on the Cambridge International Corpus, a database that includes more than 200 million words of spoken and written American English, the paperback edition contains more than 40,000 definitions of words and phrases. Entries are organized by meaning, and words with more than one meaning are clearly marked with a boxed guideword, so there's no guesswork involved in finding the right entry. Definitions are written using a carefully controlled 2,000-word defining vocabulary, so they are clear and easy to understand. The dictionary also includes coverage of important Canadian and British words and meanings.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'CDAE is a fine achievement. Its careful organisation, clear definitions, cogent examples and crisp typography will attract the interest of English learners everywhere.' Professor David Crystal

'You have the impression that you are holding a fine piece of work in your hands. Its solidity and crisp presentation instils confidence in the reader and close inspection reveals some nice touches.' TEFL Farm

'No effort has been spared to make sure the user gets full use from the great and varied amount of information contained here ... the explanations are crystal clear and there is almost always an example of real usage, culled from the 100 million words of American English in the Cambridge International Corpus.' TEFL Farm

'I found this book dangerously compelling and almost 'unputdownable'. For anyone interested in American English, learners or not, this is the book to have at the moment, given its beautifully lucid definitions and its caring attitude to those of us who have some difficulty understanding what expressions like 'We all thought the movie sucked' really mean.' TEFL Farm

'The Cambridge Dictionary of American English does not hold back in its honest representation of American English. Words that might be considered slang are not excluded. This honesty gives students the opportunity to make wise decisions about the words and phrases they choose.' American Language Review

Book Description

Based on the Cambridge International Corpus, a database that includes more than 200 million words of spoken and written American English, the paperback edition contains more than 40,000 definitions of words and phrases. Entries are organized by meaning, and words with more than one meaning are clearly marked with a boxed guideword, so there's no guesswork involved in finding the right entry. Definitions are written using a carefully controlled 2,000-word defining vocabulary, so they are clear and easy to understand. The dictionary also includes coverage of important Canadian and British words and meanings.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1087 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (September 13, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521477611
• ISBN-13: 978-0521477611
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,286,432 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You say tomato..., January 18, 2001

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[e-mail] (London) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cambridge Dictionary of American English (Paperback)

I have found this book an invaluable tool in learning American English as a foreign language (English English being my mother tongue). Fluency has eluded me thusfar, but I have noted a steady improvement, since using this book, not least in some of the more recondite elements of the American idiom. I mean, like, the other day this total dork is like, totally in-my-face, like freaking me out, and I'm, like, "whatever."

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as Cambridge Int Dictionary of English, September 28, 1999

By 

Ed Pegg "Math puzzler" (Champaign) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Cambridge Dictionary of American English (Paperback)

I liked CIDE a lot, so I looked forward to the American version with CD-Rom. More than half of CIDE was removed, though. The definitions and usages are clear, so I would recommend this book for anyone seeking a small dictionary. For those searching for more, either get CIDE (Cambridge Int Dict of English) or Merriam Webster Tenth Collegiate. The CD-Rom is a simple compilation of the text, with a word lookup. No frills at all. The Random House 2nd CD is much superior, as is the MW 10C CD.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Very limited CD-rom, June 8, 2000

By 

Sahrah Cho - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cambridge Dictionary of American English Book and CD-ROM (Paperback)

I was specifically looking for dictionary with a CD-rom because I want to know how to pronounce unusual and difficult words. I already have many good dictionaries. Unfortunately, the selection of words with sound files in the CD-rom is limited to only the most common, daily usage words. Still, this is practically the only dictionary I found where I can hear the words as well as lookup the meaning, so I commend Cambridge for putting it together. The words are clearly and very correctly enunciated and pronounced (in the way a newscaster for a national news program in the USA would.) I am suprised there are so few dictionaries who incorporate sound, and I hope that changes in the future.