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The Compact Oxford English Dictionary
 
 

The Compact Oxford English Dictionary (Hardcover)

by J. A. Simpson (Editor), E. S. C. Weiner (Editor)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
RRP: £275.00
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Product details

  • Hardcover: 2424 pages
  • Publisher: OUP Oxford; 2 edition (17 Oct 1991)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0198612583
  • ISBN-13: 978-0198612582
  • Product Dimensions: 44.4 x 28.4 x 9.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 84,452 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Anthony Burgess, Observer

`The gigantic total picture of the English language...an epic achievement.' (Refers to Second Edition of The Oxford English Dictionary)


Review

From the reviews of the Second Edition of The Oxford English Dictionary:"The gigantic total picture of the English language...an epic achievement." Anthony Burgess, Observer

A stupendous achievement. (William Golding, Evening Standard )

The greatest reference book ever written. (Stephen Jay Gould, Nature )

A national treasure. (New Statesman & Society )

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Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars An affordable version of the definitive edition, 11 May 2000
By A Customer
The 20 volume Oxford English dictionary has long been a favourite since my College days when I simply enjoyed opening it at any given page and seeing what new delights unfolded.

I could not afford the complete 20 volume edition of the College library but I jumped at the compact edition when it was first released simply to have some form of copy of this definitive dictionary. Unfortunately the print is really too small to see for any length of time with the naked eye, and the supplied magnifying glass is inadequate in power. I have not used it nearly as much as when the 20 volume edition was available to me.

I can only give this version of the dictionary four stars. This is not for the content of the book, which I would undoubtedly rate at five, nor for the technical achievements in compacting all that print to fit within a single volume. The four stars are not five because the small print discourages the slow, casual enjoyment of the book which I, and probably many others, have enjoyed when using the original.

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18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Probably the best dictionary in the world, 15 Nov 2005
By Sally-Anne "mynameissally" (Leicestershire, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   
This is what you will get for your money, starting from the outside and working in:

• This single volume comes very well packed in a box containing another box with a magnifying glass and an 80 page User's Guide;
• The dictionary has a nice, sturdy, black slipcase with gold lettering;
• The book itself is bound in strong, slate blue/grey board and fabric covers with gold lettering on the spine and embossed front cover;
• There are about eight pages of titles, contents and so on in normal sized print;
• The next eight pages have introductory information, general explanations, keys to pronunciation, abbreviations and so forth, micrographically reproduced but still readable with the naked eye (my eye managed it naked at least);
• There are 2,371 pages of actual dictionary, ie 500,000 definitions, 137,000 pronunciations, 249,000 etymologies and 2.4 million illustrative quotations;
• Finally, there are 16 pages of bibliography.

I'm delighted with this dictionary to the point of enthusiastic ranting. I was worried about the possibility of not being able to read the text with the magnifying glass provided. I think the Oxford University Press may have changed the glass recently, as I've seen illustrations with a rectangular magnifier. My copy came with a lovely hemispheric chunk of smooth glass in a black holding frame (not to hold it over the book but to keep smudgy finger marks off it). It works incredibly well. I just sit it on the bit I want to read and the text is as clear and crisp as I could wish. I was prepared to buy another magnifier if necessary, as a previous reviewer suggested, but there's no need. The text is, indeed, very minute. There are nine micrographically reproduced pages from the 20 volume edition, per page of the compact edition: three across and three down. But the quality of the paper and printing are such that each character is well defined when viewed through the magnifying glass. I have to confess that my eye-sight is far from perfect so it's a great relief to find that this wonderful dictionary is so easy to read.

In common with many other people who will buy this treasure, I could not have afforded the full, 20 volume OED and nor could I have accommodated it on my book shelves, so this single volume is perfection as far as I'm concerned.

Very highly recommended!

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7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A JOY, 6 Dec 2003
I must disagree with those who criticize the size of the type. It is not, of course, ideal. However, the choice for most people is simple; buy the compact edition or do without. The normal edition is far too expensive for the 'casual' reader to buy.

It remains a joy to browse through it.

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