![]() The Shorter Oxford Dictionary is very easy on the eyes and quite a good browsing dictionary. I ordered this 2-volume dictionary after purchasing, and subsequently returning, the latest edition of the Compact Oxford Dictionary. The concerns were unwarranted - the Shorter contains every word used by Shakespeare, the standard version of the Bible, and a host of arcane usages - with this on the bookshelf, one can read Cormac McCarthy and feel safe.Īll in all, if the aesthetics of using a dictionary matter to you, as they do for me, then this must come close to being the perfect edition. #The shorter oxford english dictionary fullInitially I was concerned that it comes billed as featuring only a third of the entries of the full (or Compact) OED. This is a very comprehensive dictionary in its own right. In contrast, this edition of the Shorter Oxford makes it a pleasure to browse adjacent words - the main words, in startlingly clear bold type, leap off the page and tickle one's interest and within an entry orientation is easy. This made it difficult to search within an entry for the particular sub-definition pertinent to my needs, and it discouraged incidental exploration of surrounding words (one of the great joys of a dictionary, for me) - the magnifier, with its limited field, does not rectify these problems - if anything it exacerbates them. In natural light, I could read the microtype with the nude eye, however this was a strain. While incredibly entertaining, with its extensive historical quotations, the format ultimately defeated me. Prior to purchase, I borrowed a friend's Compact Oxford English Dictionary with magnifying glass, thinking this might be preferable. It is by far the most enjoyable dictionary to view, in my experience at least, and a great improvement over the previous edition. The clarity of the typeface and page design of this, the 2002 edition, is beyond compare. ![]()
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