Customer Reviews

The New Oxford American Dictionary

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The New Oxford American Dictionary (NOAD) is the best 1-volume English dictionary available. I will compare this dictionary to the American Heritage Dictionary (2006) as these two dictionaries are the best 1-volume English dictionaries available.

In my opinion, the NOAD is clearly a better dictionary for reasons listed below. Generally, the NOAD's entries are longer and more detailed, hence the reader gets more information. The American Heritage definitions are almost too concise (usually too concise for my preference) although many people may prefer the shorter definitions. Each dictionary will have a number of lesser know words (and even some more common words) the other dictionary will not have (especially scientific words, geographical locations, and newer words), so one dictionary is not superior as far as having a significant amount of more entries. It appears to me the NOAD has more entries, but even if it doesn't, it is still a better dictionary.

Some comparisons of American Heritage Dictionary (2006) to the NOAD (New Oxford American Dictionary)(2004)

-The NOAD is 1,959 pages A to Z, while The American Heritage 2,006 pages long A to Z. The American Heritage does not list anywhere that I can see how many entries it has. The NOAD says it has over 250,000 entries. The font of the American Heritage is smaller but it is just as easy to read as the NOAD's font. The NOAD uses 3 columns per page, the American Heritage uses 2.

-The American Heritage has some newer words not found in NOAD, such as Red state, Blue state, Sudoku, Texas hold'em, but don't get the idea though this makes it better than the NOAD. Here are some words (some relatively recent) the NOAD has that the American Heritage does not have: macarana (the dance), tamagotchi (the Japanese toy), October Surprise, Hamas (the militant Palestinian group), heat-seeking, (as a missile) tarte Tatin, solid south, spaceship earth.

-Although the NOAD lacks color, it has many effective illustrations, and it even devotes full pages to maps. The American Heritage is visually more appealing with its 4.000 color pictures complete with a nice design layout.

-A big advantage of the American Heritage is that it details some interesting etymological histories of about 400 common words. For instance the American Heritage dictionary gives a 13-line history on the word Kangaroo, explaining that it is not from an Aborigine meaning "I do not know," and then proceeds to explain the true history of the word. The American Heritage also has usage notes on over 750 synonyms, 100 notes on regionalisms, 500 notes on usage issues, and 50 notes on the social dimensions of some words.

-Although the NOAD does not give these selected, interesting word histories, overall the NOAD etymology is done much better than the American Heritage's etymology. The NOAD's etymological explanations are consistently more detailed, and will frequently add a time frame when the word came into use, e.g. early 17th century (although it will not give specific years), something the American Heritage does not. The NOAD will give folk etymology of some words, and like the American Heritage will give notes on proper usage and help the reader/writer use the right word with synonyms.

-One huge advantage the NOAD has over the American Heritage is that it adds many , many more common word phrase origins associated with a word, including proverbs, clichés, etc. For instance the word `pie" n. the NOAD will list the phrases "as easy as pie" "as sweet as pie" "a slice of the pie" and "pie in the sky" (and giving definitions of each phrase) while the American Heritage just lists and defines "pie in the sky." The NOAD will also give the origin of a few phrases such as "flash in the pan" (from the failure of gunpowder to ignite properly to fire a gun). The American Heritage does none of this with its phrases, but note that the American Heritage Dictionary publishes a separate book on word phrase origins, which is probably the reason it places little emphasis on them in its main dictionary.

-The NOAD is superior in the biographical entries to the American Heritage. Each dictionary will have some people the other will not, but when they are similar, the NOAD almost always gives more information in a biographical entry. The NOAD is also superior in geographical entries. food entries, and political terms. The NOAD is also better at including entries one would normally find in an encyclopedia, for instance Tamil Tigers, Hammond Organ, Abbey Road are in the NOAD, but not in the American Heritage.

-The NOAD is slightly better in giving information about nations of the world. The American Heritage's entries on nations is short and very basic, while the NOAD's, though not much longer, it will nevertheless give a better history of a country than the American Heritage will.

I love dictionaries, but in comparing these two dictionaries, the NOAD to me has its pulse on the English language more than the American Heritage, and so NOAD would be my first choice. The American Heritage Dictionary however is still very good. If you love words, you should get them both to enjoy the variety each provides.

This is a review of the second edition of the dictionary. Naturally, it has been revised substantially by adding or updating entries and usage notes. This is well described by the publisher and other reviews.

A key new feature called "The Right Word" are valuable synonym study boxes discussing subtle differences in meaning, e.g., "definite" vs. "definitive".

The typography has been completely overhauled. The change is definitely for the better, although this may sound surprising given the richness and complexity in the first edition. Word functions, usage levels, examples, etc., are again set in distinct fonts, yet they harmonize here much better than before. I especially like the new italic face frequently seen in the numerous and illuminating examples. Phrases are explicitly set off from the main entry yet at equal weight. Etymologies and derivatives follow tightly at the very end but are still clearly recognizable.

The appendix has also received some attention and is now much more appropriate for a dictionary. The various "Hall of Fame" lists from the first edition have rightly been dropped in favor of informative and relevant language aids covering grammar, style, spelling, capitalization and punctuation. This part also includes several interesting lists of commonly mis-spelled words, clichés to avoid, and redundant expressions.

This is the best desk dictionary of contemporary American English.

I knew I would like this new edition, but I didn't know how much! The Oxford American Dictionary is the best new dictionary of American English out there. It seems counterintuitive that OXFORD would make a great AMERICAN dictionary, but they really have more coverage than the other dictionaries I have (and I have a lot of dictionaries!).

The new edition has so much more material, including a really great new essay on etymology and new synonym studies.

I personally like the new page layout much better. The old one was very "dance-y" and distracting -- too much going on. This one is much simpler and flows better. I had no trouble finding the phrases (they begin with a dark triangle and the word PHRASES in bold type, so they're hard to miss!). The eytmologies start with an open triangle, but they always come near the end of the entry so I don't see how they're difficult to find, either. The font they use for the pronunciations is easier to read, as well, and they now have the key on every right-hand page.

And this new edition has a CD inside the book that lets you load the ENTIRE DICTIONARY on your smartphone or Blackberry or Treo!

If using a dictionary makes you cranky, you owe it to yourself to get this one and never feel cranky about looking something up again. It is the most usable, best-laid-out, most comprehensive dictionary I've seen yet.

I chanced upon this dictionary at a book store. After giving it a quick lookover, it seemed to be pretty good. Like any good dictionary, it explains the meaning in great detail and provides sentences indicating meaning in context.

The area where this dictionary excels is in clarifying nuances in meaning between the word looked up and other related words. I was looking for a dictionary for my high school bound daughter and this was what made me decide to buy this dictionary.

As an example, in the entry for "clarify", the entry talks about the subtle differences between the words clarify, construe, elucidate, explain, explicate, and interpret. It must also be mentioned that it *does not* do this for *all* word entries -- only for some words.

As a bonus, the dictionary comes with a CD allowing you to install the dictionary on a PDA -- has versions for Palm and Windows mobile. I have loaded it into my Windows mobile Dell Axim x30 and it works well. The user interface is a little goofy but I got used to it soon. Keep in mind that you might need to have an external memory card to store the dictionary data.

Overall, I am very happy with the decision to buy this. Its a great value especially if you have a PDA.

Overloaded with new vocabularies, it is no longer a matter of knowing all the words, but to know the slightest nuance distinguishing a word from its verbal brethren.

"The New Oxford American Dictionary" addresses the needs of today's word hunter, providing the reader which words are the 'core' words, so that the other words might not confuse the reader.

New dictionaries will always be important so long as our language is definitionally fluid. Meanings change when crossing borders and time. The slant is definitively American. While those in England speak English, we Americans spell things differently, and use many common words differently.

For the serious student of words, and editors and readers, this is a good addition to your desk library. It is not the enormously thorough "Oxford English Dictionary," but it takes up less space. With over 2,000 pages of words, you should find all you need.

Why not five stars when the content is so good? It is big. Had this been a two or three volume set, making it easier to grab while writing or reading, that would have helped.

I recommend "The New Oxford American Dictionary." Libraries will find it useful, of course, but the families which can afford it will also benefit from "The New Oxford American Dictionary" as well.

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

American users should be alerted to the fact that the "New Oxford American Dictionary" is founded on the "New Oxford Dictionary of English," which has been retitled the "Oxford Dictionary of English." The NODE and the ODE, when considered on their own, are excellent--especially when one realizes that they place contemporary English usage in a global context, which is helpful for both ESL students and US citizens who may be unaware that international nuances exist. So, the chief problem with the NOAD is that it presents itself as being American but cannot escape from being essentially British in outlook. As a result, many strange definitions and usage examples are to be found when considered from an American perspective. For those who wish to use a one-volume dictionary that more adequately represents American English as it is spoken and used in the United States, the Random House Webster's College Dictionary or the Webster's New World College Dictionary would seem to be preferable to the NOAD, with the ODE or the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary being consulted for more obscure words and definitions, or for obtaining a better idea of how English is used internationally.

I previously used Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition religiously. A couple of weeks ago, they did not have a word that I was looking for. That's when I decided that it was time for a change.

Oxford always had a good reputation for refrence books. I can see why. This book has many more listings. The only thing about this dictionary that I am disappointed with is that it does not have thumb tabs. I find those helpful to have in a dictionary.

English being my second language I have great use of this excellent dictionary in my work as a translator. Good explanations and lots of phrases and expressions. A nice feature is the "The Right Word" boxes that explains the subtle differences between closely related words (e.g. view vs. opinion).

This is a great dictionary. I love it because I have referred to it many times since purchasing it and have always found the answers to what I am looking for. It has helped me with game show questions, crossword puzzles and word debates between my husband and I. It is so much more than just a dictionary. The only reason I did not rate this dictionary a "5" is because of it's size. It is quite large and bulky, but then again, if it wasn't - it might not contain all the answers I was searching for. This is truly an informative book which I would highly recommend.

Without a doubt, this is the very best dictionary for the home and small business. I have tried several over the years and found the New Oxford American Dictionary to be the easiest to use and READ. It is a litle heavy but 2000+ pages of up to date definations are worth the weight.