New Oxford American Dictionary, Third Edition
Does not imply availability
Description
The New Oxford American Dictionary is Oxford's flagship American dictionary, offering comprehensive and authoritative coverage of the English language, with over 350,000 words, phrases, and senses, plus hundreds of explanatory notes. The Third Edition will feature a completely updated text, modern new text design, new in-text feature on Word Trends, and approximately 2,000 new words and meanings. Coverage will be expanded and revised using the two-billion-word Oxford English Corpus and new tools for its analysis to reveal patterns of usage in modern English.
AI Overview
The "New Oxford American Dictionary, Third Edition" is a comprehensive dictionary of American English compiled by American editors at the Oxford University Press. Here is a detailed overview of the book:
Key Features
- Content: The dictionary contains more than 350,000 words, phrases, and senses, along with hundreds of explanatory notes and over a thousand illustrations[3][4].
- Corpus Analysis: It is based on the two-billion-word Oxford English Corpus and the citation files of the world-renowned Oxford English Dictionary, providing an accurate and richly descriptive picture of American English[3].
- New Words and Phrases: The Third Edition includes approximately 2,000 new words, phrases, and meanings, many of which relate to fast-moving areas such as computing, technology, current affairs, and ecology[1][2][3].
- Usage Notes: The dictionary's usage notes have been updated in light of the most recent corpus evidence, ensuring that the information is current and relevant[3].
- Word Trends: A new in-text feature on Word Trends charts the usage of rapidly changing words and phrases, such as "carbon," "mobile," or "tweet"[3].
Design and Layout
- Text Design: The volume features an attractive, modern new text design that makes entries easier to read and find[3].
- Organization: Unlike traditional dictionaries, each entry plainly shows the principal meaning or meanings of the word, organized by importance in today's English. This ensures that readers can be confident that the first definition they see is the one most likely to be used by people today[3].
Critical Reception
The "New Oxford American Dictionary, Third Edition" is widely regarded as a benchmark for lexicography in American English. Here are some key points from the critical reception:
- Comprehensive Coverage: The dictionary is praised for its comprehensive and accurate coverage of American English, making it the standard of excellence in the field[3].
- Reflecting Living Language: The dictionary's ability to reflect the living language is highlighted, with meanings organized by importance in today's English, rather than chronologically according to the history of the language[3].
- Authoritative Information: The dictionary is commended for offering clear, authoritative, and precise information, with in-depth and up-to-date coverage that users need and expect[3].
Publication Details
- Authors: The dictionary was compiled by Angus Stevenson and Christine A. Lindberg[4].
- Publisher: Oxford University Press[4].
- Publication Date: The Third Edition was published in August 2010[4].
- ISBN: 978-0-19-539288-3[4].
Overall, the "New Oxford American Dictionary, Third Edition" is a highly regarded and essential resource for anyone seeking a comprehensive and accurate understanding of American English.