Jun 27, 2008 03:17 PM
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I had been using the Concise Oxford Dictionary for quite a few years and the pages were losing their sheen and were getting dirty along the edges due to regular use. The binding, however, was still holding up bravely and not a single page was loose. But when I realised that it had been published many birthdays ago I decided to leave it for my father, who also used it frequently, grateful to it for sharing its knowledge with me for so long.
Having dumped the Concise Oxford after living with it for years I was now ready to have a fling. For, as the saying goes, there are many fish in the sea. So I looked around and finally settled for the Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners (International Student Edition): pages 1, 692. What I like most about it is that the word-meanings are explained in simple english and are, therefore, easier to understand than in the Concise Oxford. Presentation:
The entries are well presented with sensible use of bold and italic typefaces making it easier to find what one is looking for and the liberal use of example-sentences help in clarifying meaning and usage. Illustrations: There are quite a few illustrations as well, some of them labelled, which can prove to be pretty useful since an image can sometimes convey things better than a long description. British/American English: As there are differences between the two, the entries mention whether a particular word is used only/mainly in British or American English. The dicionary also comes with a free CD-ROM but since I have not yet read it I cannot comment on its contents. As you must have guessed by now, this fling of mine has grown into a full-blown love affair. An affair which I shamelessly recommend to you as well.
