Little Oxford English Dictionary (Eighth Edition)

By Angus Stevenson and Oxford University Press

Packed with more than 107,000 definitions, the revised and updated edition of this popular, portable dictionary is completely up to date in its coverage. The only hardcover dictionary of this size, The Little Oxford Dictionary has an extraordinary range of features: comprehensive coverage of English, from current slang to the latest scientific and technical terms; clear, concise definitions; and a new language-help supplement to aid in spelling, usage, style, and grammar. Ready to go into a backpack, briefcase, or coat pocket, the new edition of this unique resource is a portable, durable, and essential tool for anyone-from high school students to business travelers. No other dictionary puts so much into one portable, durable, and dependable package.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0198604521
• ISBN13: 9780198604525
• Release Date: October 2002
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 848 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 4.1" x 1.6" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

A Dictionary to Accompany the Little Oxford Thesaurus

I knew when I saw this Dictionary and its companion thesaurus (reviewed just before this), I was going to find great use for it. With my few remaining Euros, and a stop at London Heathrow Airport, I set out to find something unique to remember this 6 hour lay over, and to take up little remaining space in my carry-on. Had I checked the back of the title page, the verso, I would have realized it is printed in the United States. Oh, well, I probably wouldn't have noticed if I saw it in one of our bookstores. But, in London, it stood out like a beam of light. Perhaps that beam of light directed me to a most interesting book. Just like the Little Oxford Thesaurus, The Little Oxford English Dictionary is a handful of words and information, and may be the resource you will keep at your desk, or in your car; it has its research based on the Oxford English database, and each word is nicely printed in bold font, making it easy to use. One particular reviewer goes into a long discourse as to the value of such a handy book of pages, and rightly so. There is a 19 page Factfinder in the centerfold of this little dictionary, covering such topics as: "countries of the world", "states of the U.S.", "weights & measures", "phonetic alphabet", "wedding anniversaries", "Roman Numerals", and more. Now, that's quite enough to stimulate your interest in broadening your vocabulary, so as to keep a discussion flowing......so, go ahead, pick it up, and give it a whirl.....you just might enjoy it!

Little Oxford Dictionary is great

I love these dictionaries. I started using the "Little" as a bedside dictionary many years ago. Now I give them as gifts to kids entering middle school or high school -- they can carry them in backpacks easily and/or use them when reading in bed.

Language Lovers

Let's face it: this is the only dictionary for people in love with language, especially the King's/Queen's English. For "Americanisms" the American Heritage might be better, but for serious writers and scholars, look no further. And this little mite is a chip off the old block, i.e., the Concise Oxford English Dictionary, which I keep on my headboard. This one I keep above my computer for quick, light-weight, i.e. easy-to-reach/grab reference. The best, is this one.

Mighty Minnie

This dictionary is really good for it's size. I was shocked that it had most of the words that I needed to look up in there. I keep it in the car to look words up while listening to books on tape lectures and it's really fabulous. It's got the hard cover so you don't demolish it, and it's small enough so it won't clutter. The binding is well made and can sustain a beating too. I got it on sale, but it's worth the asking price.

A Small Gem

I bought this tiny dictionary as a joke. I'm a retired professor of English and something of a reference-books hound. I have and use a number of English dictionaries, including some large, unabridged ones, and three of the best collegiate-sized ones. Unlike any of these, this little dictionary looked appealingly "cute," and I had in mind to give it to a ladyfriend, but I assumed it was too small to be taken seriously. Just for fun I set it out where it would be handy and started to use it. I was surprised to discover how good it is; I was compelled to change my mind about it and came to regard it with a healthy respect. I've used it pretty extensively now for several months, and I can honestly say that it's difficult for me to imagine how a dictionary of this miniscule size (6 ¼ inches by 4 ¼ inches by 1 ½ inches) could be better than this one. Some will actually prefer it to the larger, more comprehensive collegiate-sized dictionaries, because it is quick and easy to use, there is an absolute minimum of scholarly paraphernalia, and its straight-to-the-point definitions are unusually succinct, pithy, and understandable. The guiding principle here seems to be: what are most users of this book going to want to know most when they look up this word? As the preface accurately claims, "Definitions are written in a very clear and accessible style, using everyday English and avoiding abbreviations and technical terms." Pronunciations are given only when likely to be tricky. Inevitably there is much fuller information in the collegiate-sized dictionaries, but for someone who has a need for a tiny, handy, backpackable or otherwise easily portable English dictionary, this one can be confidently recommended as a model of cut-to-the-chase directness, brevity, and simplicity. And although it is a dictionary of British English, it is careful to note American variants in spellings and meanings, so it is useful for Americans. A remarkably good job, Angus Stevenson and Oxford UP; I would hardly have believed that so much could be squeezed into so little. Sometimes good things do come in small packages. This little gem is a keeper. And for those seeking a more comprehensive dictionary of American English, I recommend the hefty but excellent New Oxford American Dictionary (2001, 2023 pages), American Heritage Dictionary, 3rd or 4th edition, and the king of the collegiate dictionaries, the classic "old reliable" Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, 10th edition.