The dictionary that is recommended for the harder crosswords because of its huge lexicon.

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Product Description

Completely revised and updated to reflect current usage, the Chambers
Dictionary, Ninth Edition is packed with distinctive features, including a
new page design that makes it easier than ever to find the right word. With unrivaled coverage of English vocabulary, ranging from rare and archaic words to the latest slang and technical terms, and clear, accurate definitions, this latest edition of the Chambers Dictionary will find its place on every reference shelf.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #621308 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 1856 pages

From Booklist
Completely revised and updated, and designed to be used more for finding the meaning, rather than the spelling, of a word, The Chambers Dictionary is the official dictionary for U.K. Scrabble tournaments and succeeds The Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary of the English language (1952) and The Chambers English Dictionary (1988). It was published in the U.K. in 1993.

Changes from the 1988 edition include the front matter, which no longer provides a justification for Americans using a British dictionary, but rather a commentary on the importance of grammar and standard English. Other changes include a revised list of abbreviations, which reflects modern usage (e.g., labels for American Indian and West African have been added, the label for ablative has been deleted), and addition of a list of rules for English spelling. Main entries include derivatives, compounds, and phrases within a headword's etymological family (a signature characteristic of the Chambers dictionaries), cross-references (215,000), pronunciation keys, alternative forms of headwords, inflections, and part-of-speech and classification labels. Definitions (300,000) are generally ordered from the most common to least common, and abbreviations are alphabetized within the main A-Z text; there are no biographical entries. Appendixes include a list (with meanings) of first names; five pages of phrases and quotations from Latin, Greek, and modern foreign languages; the Greek and Russian alphabet; Roman numerals; books of the Bible; plays of Shakespeare; the chemical elements; temperature and measurement conversions; and international paper sizes.

The 25,000 new entries reflect modern usage (AIDS is now defined under its acronym rather than within the definitions for acquire), science and technology (added words include virtual reality, CD-ROM), current societal concerns (ecotourism, sexual harassment), and even American slang (rad, yo). In the Chambers tradition, definitions are clear, print is small but readable, boldface is effectively used to help find words, and an international focus is evident.

This is a superior dictionary that belongs on the shelves of academic and public libraries, alongside the various American Webster's

About the Author
This internationally renowned reference publisher continues its celebrated tradition of excellence into the present day with such informative and authoritative works as the Chambers Crossword Dictionary, Chambers Encyclopedia, Chambers Biographical Dictionary and the all-new Chambers
Dictionary of Quotations.

Chambers is based in Edinburgh, as it always has been, and employs editors with a wide range of skills on dictionaries and other titles for a variety of users, including students and teachers of English as a foreign or second language. As well as the core business of publishing dictionaries and thesauruses, Chambers also publishes a range of titles on grammar and usage, single-volume reference titles on science, history, biography and quotations, as well as titles for Scrabble® and crosswords.

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Customer Reviews

Best for Publishers/Authors
Having worked in the Printing & Publishing industry for 45 years, I can recommend Chambers. The old 'Proof Readers' of Fleet Street along with Newspaper Editors always kept the latest version close to hand.
BPW

Dictionary for Adults
When I tried to find a replacement for my old editions of Oxford Concise and Cassell's (both printed and edited in the UK), I unwittingly bought a version of the americanized Oxford. Shocking! Full of pictures of sports stars & actors with some definitions interspersed. It's adequate for a high school student, but I'm glad I discovered Chambers. I adore it - just lots and lots of words. So, if you love English and don't have enough dough for the big OED, buy Chambers for a fraction of the cost.

Chambers Dictionary 10th Edition
Clearly printed, with loads of useful extraneous information. At last I have the definitive dictionary to allow me to finish my crosswords!