Pocket Oxford American Dictionary & Thesaurus 3rd Edition

***This review might seem aggressive and biased***My first dictionary was Merriam-Webster. Unfortunately I was disappointed when I bought it on amazon, since the explanation of vocabs were so unclear and lazy. Here are some comparison of words between Merriam-Webster and Pocket Oxford. I swear I did not change or underscore the definition made in Merriam-Webster. I wrote the exact letters in those two dictionaries!LeerMW (Merriam-Webster): n. a suggestive, knowing, or malicious lookPO (Pocket Oxford): v. look or smile at someone in a suggestive or unpleasant way. n. a suggestive or unpleasant look or smileShrewdMW: clever, astute (look astute right below this! I was really frustrated when I saw the definition of astute)PO: having or showing good judgement/ syn (synonym): astute, sharp, smart, intellegent)AstuteMW: shrewdly discerning (that was really all. I really felt bad! They were just exchanging words on this one)PO: good at making accurate judgements/ syn: shrewd, sharp, acute, quick...LimpMW: to walk lamely; also : to proceed with difficultyPO: 1. walk with difficulty because of an injured leg or foot 2. (of a damaged ship or aircraft) proceed with difficulty/ syn: hobble, hop, lurch, staggerSwaggerMW: 1. to walk with a conceited swing or strut 2. boast, bragPO: walk or behave in a very confident or arrogant wayCoarseMW: 1. of ordinary or inferior quality 2. composed of large parts or particlesPO: 1. having a rough texture 2. consisting of large grains or particles 3. rude or vulgar/ syn: 1. rough 2. uncouth 3. vulgar, lewdLathered (Lather)MW (lather): 1. a form or froth formed when a detergent is agitated in water (this one did not have exact definition of lathered)PO (lather): a frothy mass of bubbles produced by soap when mixed with waterPO (lathered): 1. cover with or form a lather 2. cover or spread generously with a substanceJibeMW: GibeMW (Gibe): to utter taunting wordsPO: 1. change course by swinging a sail across a following wind 2. be in accord; agreePO (Gibe): an insulting or mocking remarkThis one was really confusing, but yeahAs you can see, PO uses more fundamental and basic words to show a definition, when MW uses sophisticated words (it depends on personnel's intellect level) to express a word. This is a huge difference, since the more pure the definition is, the more distinguishable between two similar words!As using English as a secondary language, this dictionary is by far the best I have ever met. Balance between definition and synonym is perfect. The way of expressing the definition is like a generous grandfather trying to express the word in the most pure and easiest way possible.Summary: Balance of definition and synonyms. Explaining definition in a very vivid and understandable way. Perfect dictionary!As other reviewers said, this is never a pocket size.

Yes, in this day and age of the internet, this may be a bit of an anachronism, but if you have any need for a paper dictionary, this is the one to get.With over 140,000 words, phrases, and definitions, you will have most of the definitions you need, and then some. I have used this with P.G. Wodehouse to translate some slightly dated terms with no problem. I have found that dictionaries with less than 120,000 definitions are often missing some important words.The paperback cover is good quality and seems very durable. The pages are a good weight. The text, fonts and layout are all very, very easy to read - clearly, modern typography has been used.The dictionary utilized a very easy to use pronunciation key for each word. It isn't anywhere near as complex as IPA. I found I can read the key and get the correct pronunciation without consulting any guide. SHould you need one, however, it is available.I particularly like the etymology of the words, which is an Oxford feature and available for most of the words.It is not really "pocket" sized. It is more like book-bag sized. Still, it is quite portable to cary while still maintaing a useable size for your desk.Highly recommended.Pros:Clear, modern typography and layout140,000 words, phrases, and definitions - perfect middle ground for most usesDurable coverEtymology given for many wordsEasy to use pronunciation keyCons:Not really pocket

I own the Pocket Thesaurus 2ed. (2008), but I bought this updated version thinking it would be just nice to have a newer version that had the dictionary and thesaurus combined. I read Updike's biography last fall and was impressed how he always found the "right" word.... and although digital dictionary and thesaurus are easily accessed, a book appealed to me.The new Dictionary & Thesaurus is a pleasure to use, and oddly more accessible as I tend to mentally "lose my place" when I change computer screens. It is smaller than the 2008 Thesaurus and easier to hold; the smaller size makes it easy to look for a word. Remarkably, even though it is smaller, it is easy to read and the advantage of having the definitions just above the synonyms helps to choose the word whose meaning I am searching for. For instance: "fell v. 1. cut down a tree. 2. knock someone down." Then under the definition are the synonyms: also numbered, so that the synonyms relate to the numbered definition "1. cut down (in bold), chop down, hack down, saw down, clear.2. knock down (in bold), knock to the ground, floor, strike down, knock out; informal (italicized) deck, flatten, lay out."So it is not necessary to turn to another page to track the various choices.The new version is .5 inches thinner which makes it easier to hold in my hand (I am an average white male) which, with the format of placing the definition next to the synonym, has me using it several times a day.I hope this is clear and helpful. I've not read other reviews, so apologize if this is redundant.