- Hardcover: 1888 pages
- Publisher: Collins; Eighth edition edition (6 Mar 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0007232306
- ISBN-13: 978-0007232307
- Product Dimensions: 27.2 x 22.6 x 7 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 553,221 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
Product Description
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 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
wonderful coverage of current english … layout is appealing to the reader (five-star amazon.co.uk review)
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 (five-star amazon.co.uk review)
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
84 of 87 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
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.
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.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
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.
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
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!
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Complete and well-organised
Collins English Dictionary is a rich source of words, including new words and definitions of today. It has a clear well-organised structure, with a two-colour page design that... Read more
Published on 21 Mar 2010 by M. M. C. Gulickx
Unexpected
Having been an Oxford dictionary user all my life, I bought this dictionary online a few days ago. I chose this book (not having seen it) based on the definitions of a few words. Read more
Published on 14 July 2009 by Steve
The Dictionary
Having used one of these excellent dictionaries in an Educational establishment, I went ahead and bought two! for the family. Read more
Published on 25 May 2009 by Andrew C. Ransome
Really great value for money
Buy it at amazon's discounted price and you have a real bargain. The dictionary is well laid out with three columns per page, two ink colours and a clean clear feel to the print. Read more
Published on 2 May 2009 by budgy smuggler
Beneficial to own
This dictionary provides not only succinctly worded definitions and correctly denoted pronunciations, but essential language notes to assist in everyday usage; a very helpful... Read more
Published on 21 Mar 2009 by J. K. Minto
The best dictionary
This product is the best dictionary I have ever had. Although it is a large and heavy book the wealth of imformation it contains is staggering. Read more
Published on 3 Feb 2009 by P. R. Atkinson
Perfect for scrabble and word games
THE definitive dictionary for all sorts of word games, but especially crosswords and scrabble. Every home should have one and every time I pick it up I discover a new word or one... Read more
Published on 30 Oct 2007 by bookworm
Delightful - modern and new words
This Collins dictionary consists of mainly new words. There are some words that have been known for a very long time, such as 'devilish', but some fantastically new words! Read more
Published on 20 July 2007 by Josh
WHERE ARE ALL THE BIOGRAPHIES?
The Collins English Dictionary used to be the best. But what has happened? Among its many glories were thousands of biographical references - thumbnail sketches of famous people. Read more
Published on 21 Mar 2007 by Roger Clark
Needs strong muscles!
Very attractive in appearance on the page, and with more words you'll ever need in a lifetime, this dictionary is however extremely heavy, and if you buy it as we did to pass... Read more
Published on 20 Feb 2007 by Severn Meadows
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/02/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192198663_.gif){kind=small}
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
