Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 11th ed.

by Catherine Soanes; Angus Stevenson

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

, 2004

Overview

The Concise Oxford English Dictionary is the most popular dictionary of its kind around the world and is noted for its clear, concise definitions as well as its comprehensive and authoritative coverage of the vocabulary of the English-speaking world.

This eleventh edition of the authoritative Concise Oxford English Dictionary contains over 240,000 words, phrases, and definitions, including 900 new words. It offers rich vocabulary coverage, with full treatment of World English, rare, historical, and archaic terms, as well as scientific and technical vocabulary, and provides hundreds of helpful notes on grammar and usage.

New to this edition is a fascinating Word Histories feature, detailing the origins and development of 100 words, such as accolade and candid. This dictionary contains full appendices on topics such as alphabets, currencies, electronic English, and the registers of language, from formal to slang, plus a useful Guide to Good English with advice on grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

Key Features

• Major new edition providing an authoritative, up-to-the-minute description of the English language
• Based on hundreds of millions of words of real English from the Oxford English Corpus
• Over 240,000 words, phrases, and definitions, including 900 new words
• NEW! Word Histories feature telling the often bizarre stories of the origins and development of 100s of words, such as accolade and candid
• NEW! Hundreds of extra notes on grammar and usage covering a wide range of topics, from confusable words (what's the difference between peddle and pedal?) to punctuation (where should a hyphen be used?)
• Rich vocabulary coverage including scientific, technical, World English, rare, historical, and archaic terms
• Appendices containing lists of alphabets, currencies, chemical elements, electronic English, and more

Contents

• Preface
• Introduction
• Guide to the Use of the dictionary
• Abbreviations used in the dictionary
• Note on trademarks and proprietary status
• Concise Oxford English Dictionary
• Appendix 1: Countries of the World
• Appendix 2: Prime Ministers and Presidents
• Appendix 3: Kings and Queens of England and the United Kingdom
• Appendix 4: Weights, Measures, and Notation
• Appendix 5: Chemical Elements
• Appendix 6: The Greek Alphabet
• Appendix 7: The Solar System
• Appendix 8: Collective Nouns
• Appendix 9: Types of Language
• Appendix 10: English in Electronic Communication
• Appendix 11: Guide to Good English

Top Highlights

“he power or ability to dissolve or dispel somethin” (source)

“the formation of a word from another word or from a root in the same or another language.” (source)

“a judgement or verdict that a person is not guilty of a criminal charge.” (source)

“2 Philosophy true by virtue of the way things in fact are and not by logical necessity.” (source)

“■ noun a long speech of angry criticism or accusation” (source)

Praise for the Print Edition

This mini-edition of a giant known as the OED claims to pack the authority of the original into a handy size ideal for use in schools, offices, and at home.

—Library Journal

Product Details

• Title: Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 11th Edition
• Editors: Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication Date: 2004
• Pages: 1,728