Compact Oxford English Dictionary of Current English [Hardcover]

Catherine Soanes (Author)

Book Description

Series: Dictionary | Publication Date: June 12, 2003

This revised second edition of the Compact Oxford English Dictionary of Current English is the ideal comprehensive, value-for-money hardback dictionary for office, study, and home use. It offers up-to-the-minute coverage of over 145,000 words, phrases, and definitions from everyday English, including brand-new words, and in-text notes giving guidance on spelling, grammar, and usage. The revised edition also contains 32 pages of new appendices that include a Guide to Internet and electronic English, covering the language of email, chatrooms, and websites; and a Guide to Good English, offering help on spelling, commonly confused words, and punctuation.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Catherine Soanes is Project Editor for English Dictionaries at Oxford University Press. Sara Hawker is Project Editor for English Dictionaries and Thesauruses at Oxford University Press. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1390 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press; Revised edition (June 12, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 019860713X
• ISBN-13: 978-0198607137
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.7 x 2.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,079,220 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Dictionary with Slightly Misleading Label, August 14, 2008

By 

The Fearsome Mollusk "World-Domination Enthus... (Olympia, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Compact Oxford English Dictionary (Hardcover)

Overall this is a very useful dictionary with a good selection of words; clear, concise definitions; and a logical, easy-to-use pronounciation system.
However, this is a "Compact" dictionary, so in order to save space they have left out many ponounciations and etymologies. Also, it is written from a very British point of view, which, if one is an American, could cause some confusion at first.
Although the seller labels this book (understandably) as the "Compact Oxford English Dictionary," they are in fact selling the "Compact Oxford Dictionary of Current English." The former is a micrographically reproduced version of the complete OED in two volumes, while the latter (sold here) is a small desk-dictionary.
If you are looking for completeness I would suggest the 20-volume OED, but if you are looking for an easy-to-use dictionary that has a very large word-selection for its size, I would recommend the Compact Oxford Dictionary of Current English.

4.0 out of 5 stars Compact Dictionary, February 27, 2011

By 

R. K. Hill (Athens, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Compact Oxford English Dictionary of Current English (Hardcover)

This compact and spartan OED of Current English is produced to fit the maximum number of entries in a compact space; the pages are thin, the definitions are terse, and there are no added maps, population tables, etc. A US user might cavil that a lot of British usage and slang is included. But on the whole it is a very useful dictionary, inexpensive, easy to read, with a vast number of words in a book one can carry about easily without back strain. It admirably suits the purpose for which it was designed, and I am happy to replace my old Webster with it.