Throughout the dictionary text there are notes giving advice on the use of good English, and highlighting the differences between commonly confused words such as empathy and sympathy, and affect and effect, as well as thousands of example phrases showing words in context. The dictionary has been market-tested with both teachers and students. Of particular relevance is the centre supplement, which gives lots of practical information – how to research and take notes, how to write essays, dissertations, reports, and summaries, advice on note-taking and referencing, and preparing CVs and job applications – to help students do better in their studies.

It also provides help with English grammar, spelling, and punctuation, to help students get it right every time. As well as the printed book, there is an Online Resource Centre, accessed via weblinks given in the book, which gives additional information and study skills support. This portable and affordable dictionary is an essential reference tool for all college and university students who need practical advice and tips to tackle their studies, and those who want to write effectively and with confidence.

New features include Word Trends which showcase language research based on the Oxford English Corpus and illuminate the extraordinary stories behind fast-changing words of everyday English.

L’Oxford Dictionary of English, massima autorità in un unico volume sulla lingua inglese, è all’avanguardia nella ricerca linguistica, concentrandosi sull’inglese così come viene utilizzato oggi. Si basa sulle prove più aggiornate provenienti dal più grande programma di ricerca linguistica al mondo, tra cui l’Oxford English Corpus, che conta due miliardi di parole. Questa nuova edizione include migliaia di parole e significati nuovi, oltre a informazioni enciclopediche aggiornate e ampie appendici che trattano argomenti come paesi, capi di stato ed elementi chimici.

Tra le nuove funzionalità, il dizionario Word Trends presenta la ricerca linguistica basata sull’Oxford English Corpus e illumina le straordinarie storie dietro le parole in rapida evoluzione dell’inglese quotidiano.

The dictionary has excellent coverage of everyday English, containing over 90,000 words, phrases and definitions and incorporating the newest words and phrases from Oxford’s language research programmes. The thesaurus provides over 100,000 synonyms and antonyms. This handy dictionary and thesaurus is ideal for anyone who needs an affordable and portable, all-in-one reference work.

These include a range of recently established idioms such as ‘the elephant in the corner’, ‘go figure’, ‘like a rat up a drainpipe’, ‘sex on legs’, ‘step up tothe plate’, ‘too posh to push’, ‘a walk in the park’, ‘win ugly’. This edition also features a greatly increased number of cross-references, making it ideal for quick reference. Many entries include additional features which give more detailed background on the idiom in question.

For example, did you know that ‘taken aback’ was adopted from nautical terminology that described a ship unable to move forward because of a strong headwind pressing its sails back against the mast? Anyone interested in the colourful side of the English language will get hours of fun browsing from this fascinating and informative volume.

Each page is clearly laid out so it is easy to pick out the main features – the alphabet down the side of the page, the letter of the page you are on in red. A lovely extra for this age level is the illustrated opening letter – A shows a juicy apple, B shows some buzzing bees. There is also a fully illustrated section at the end with vocabulary on topics related to first learning, e.g.

colours, numbers, shapes, days and months, as well as a list of common words and a simple introduction to grammar with a list of verbs or ‘doing words’. This is a great introduction to the world of dictionaries.

Words are grouped clearly by sound and there is also a complete A-Z index to help you quickly navigate to the relevant section. In-text notes offer tips on using rhymes effectively, make suggestions for expanding the rhyming lists included in the book, and give examples of how poets past and present have used rhyme. The fascinating introduction by Professor John Lennard offers a brief outline of rhyming in its literary and historical contexts, and gives further advice on creative writing.

This new edition includes over 200 words added to the Oxford Dictionary of English since the publication of the last edition, including iPod, Americano, and vuvuzela. The New Oxford Rhyming Dictionary is a must-have tool for poets, lyricists, and writers of all kinds, as well as adelight for everyone who likes to play with words.