The 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary is the accepted authority on the evolution of the English language over the last millennium. It is an unsurpassed guide to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of over half a million words, both present and past. The OED has a unique historical focus. Accompanying each definition is a chronologically arranged group of quotations that trace the usage of words, and show the contexts in which they can be used. The quotations are drawn from a huge variety of international sources - literary, scholarly, technical, popular - and represent authors as disparate as Geoffrey Chaucer and Erica Jong, William Shakespeare and Raymond Chandler, Charles Darwin and John Le Carré. In all, nearly 2.5 million quotations can be found in the OED. Other features distinguishing the entries in the Dictionary are authoritative definitions of over 500,000 words; detailed information on pronunciation using the International Phonetic Alphabet; listings of variant spellings used throughout each word's history; extensive treatment of etymology; and details of area of usage and of any regional characteristics (including geographical origins).

The second edition of the Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus is the perfect language resource, combining a dictionary and thesaurus text. This means that you only have to reach for one book when you need language help. In this edition the dictionary and thesaurus texts are integrated so that the thesaurus entry for a word follows the dictionary entry directly. This is based on market research into user preferences making the dictionary accessible, clear, and easy to use. New to this edition is a centre section for crossword enthusiasts and puzzle solvers, containing hundreds of thematic word lists. With 300,000 definitions, synonyms, and antonyms, this really is the ultimate tool for anyone who loves language-based quizzes and puzzles. The Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus also features usage notes to help you deal with tricky vocabulary and improve your writing style. The ultimate reference tool for your shelf - but not designed to stay there!

This edition of Collins Mini English Dictionary, is fully up-to-date, including the most popular new words to enter the English language. The ideal portable companion for all. The handy little dictionary gives you practical, applied knowledge in your pocket. It contains clear definitions for all the words you need on a daily basis and provides tips on spelling, and help with difficult pronunciations. The clear layout makes the content easily accessible and suitable for immediate use. Includes a brand new supplement tackling problems of style and etiquette in everything from letters to emails to social media sites.

The Collins Cobuild Pocket English-English-Urdu Dictionary is a brand new, illustrated dictionary aimed at learners of English. This dictionary covers all the essential words and phrases that students need to learn. The definitions are written in full sentences, using simple language, and the dictionary contains thousands of examples of real English, showing the learner how English is really used. Additional help is provided by the thousands of Urdu translations. Every sense, phrase and phrasal verb has an Urdu translation, which acts as a stepping stone from the student's first language to the wealth of information contained in the dictionary. With hundreds of line drawings illustrating key terms, the Cobuild Pocket English-English-Urdu Dictionary is ideal for learners of English.

Collins, in partnership with prestigious French dictionary publisher Le Robert, is proud to present the latest edition of the Collins Robert Comprehensive French Dictionary on DVD-ROM. With 425,000 words and phrases and over 1 million translations, the 2008 edition of Collins Robert Comprehensive French Dictionary on DVD-ROM gives unrivalled coverage of the French language. This software is the perfect electronic resource for advanced students and language professionals. In addition to the core dictionary content, this DVD-ROM includes: * French and English synonyms * Business vocabulary * Audio pronunciation of 100,000 words * Cultural notes and proverbs * Language in Use guide - construct phrases, write essays, respond to invitations, and more * Direct links between the dictionary and thesaurus * Entry map tool to navigate complex dictionary entries * Feminine forms, verb conjugations and plurals shown at the click of a button To run on your computer, Collins Robert Comprehensive French Dictionary on DVD-ROM requires either: Mac OS 10.3.9 or later; or Windows XP or Vista.

The essential reference work for writers, editors and proofreaders. Well-known or well known? Affect or effect? Majorca or Mallorca? Royal Family or royal family? Spell check cannot be relied upon to help you with the trickier aspects of the English language. Even the most sophisticated writers of English will be faced with questions and problems in the quest for clear, elegant and correct writing. The new paperback edition of the Collins Dictionary for Writers and Editors answers these questions, and thousands of other usage conundrums, with a comprehensive collection of entries designed to sweep the minefield of the English language. Whether you're a writer, proofreader or editor, for books, periodicals or websites, the Collins Dictionary for Writers and Editors will be your essential reference. It contains accessible information covering everything from style and Americanization (or Americanisation), to proofreading marks and transliterations. It also includes: abbreviations and acronyms misspellings compound words plurals capitalisation apostrophes titles

- More than 6000 idioms from spoken and written English, like go postal, it's all gone pear-shaped, and be on the same page

- Wide coverage of both American and British English

- Clear, accurate definitions, written using the Longman 2000-word Defining Vocabulary

- Unique Idiom Activator (R) helps you choose the right idiom

- Thousands of examples

The Oxford Latin Dictionary is the world's most authoritative dictionary of classical Latin, with comprehensive coverage of the language from its beginnings until AD 200. More than fifty years in the making, and originally published in a series of fascicles (parts) from 1968, it was finally published as a single volume in 1982. As well as 40,000 headwords and 100,000 senses, the dictionary includes a vast collection of illustrative quotations taken from the canon of classical literature, each now conveniently arranged under the appropriate sense or subsense. In addition, the newly digitized text incorporates a significant amount of editorial updating, including revised English translations, expansion of many abbreviations, and clearer labelling throughout the text. The new design is a masterpiece of concision and clarity and the entire text is handsomely bound in two volumes. Finally, the supplementary material has been completely rewritten and includes a new introduction by noted classical scholar Dr Christopher Stray and a guide to using the dictionary.

The Oxford German Dictionary provides authoritative coverage of German and English with over 320,000 words and phrases, and 520,000 translations. Essential grammatical information and language usage notes are provided for both languages. This edition of the Oxford German Dictionary includes cultural notes, providing interesting and helpful information on life in the German- and English-speaking world. In addition, there are boxed notes offering help with language usage and construction, and a centre section covering essential correspondence with sample letters, emails, CVs and resumes, and sections on using the telephone and writing text messages. The colour design and ultra-clear layout make it even easier to find the translation you are looking for. This is an essential reference tool for all serious students of German at university level and beyond, and for those who need an authoritative and comprehensive guide to German.

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This completely new dictionary is the most extensive phrasal verbs dictionary available. All examples are corpus-based, which means they are natural and authentic, and all definitions are written using the 2,000 word Longman Defining Vocabulary, so they are easy to understand.

Offering learners at home, school or in the office extensive and up-to-date coverage of Arabic and English in a compact, portable format. Designed for all levels of language learner, whether at home, at school, or at work, this is the ideal text for anyone who needs a wealth of reliable information in a portable format. o Contains all the everyday words and phrases used in today's Arabic and English that you will need to know. o An easy-to-use and reliable dictionary. o A two-way dictionary: English-Arabic and Arabic-English. o The clear layout ensures that you can quickly find the information you need. o All Arabic words, phrases and translations are phonetically transcribed - ideal for beginners.

Now updated to include thousands of the newest words, the world's leading large Spanish dictionary remains the perfect tool for all advanced learners of Spanish. This ninth edition of the market-leading Collins Spanish dictionary uses Collins' unique multimillion-word databases of contemporary English and Spanish to offer the user the most complete and accurate picture of real language available today. / FREE downloadable version of the full dictionary text - with audio pronunciation / Up-to-date - with thousands of the latest words from a wide range of areas / A wealth of idioms and examples - all based on evidence from a multimillion-word corpus of real Spanish and English / Extensive notes on language, grammar and culture - to help the user with typical translation issues / Coverage of European and Latin American Spanish / Clear and user-friendly colour layout - designed so that users find the correct translation quickly / With the famous Language in Use supplement to help you communicate in natural, idomatic Spanish / With colour thumb tabs on each page / With over 315,000 references, this is the largest Spanish dictionary on the market Other titles in the Collins Spanish Dictionary range include Collins Spanish Dictionary & Grammar and Collins Concise Spanish Dictionary.

This text provides photocopy masters to support a picture dictionary (in American English) designed for children aged five to seven years. The dictionary can be used by itself or with accompanying components as the core of an entire picture dictionary programme. Over 700 words are presented in the context of pictures that tell stories. Five characters and their families appear throughout the book in interesting and amusing everyday situations.