Top 10 Dictionaries

1. The Oxford Desk Dictionary and Thesaurus

by Elizabeth Jewell. Oxford. From the publisher: "Stop flipping back and forth between your dictionary and thesaurus. For anyone who has experienced the frustration of finding alternative words and the precise meanings, 'The Oxford Desk Dictionary and Thesaurus' offers a thoroughly integrated blend of entries from the dictionary and the thesaurus."

2. The Describer's Dictionary

by David Grambs. Norton. From the publisher: "The craft of description lives in literature, conversation, journalism, and personal letters. For help in painting pictures with the English language, 'The Desciber's Dictionary' is one of the most indispensable reference tools you can own."

3. Concise Oxford English Dictionary

by Judy Pearsall (Editor). Oxford. From the publisher: "Offering comprehensive coverage of current English vocabulary, the 'Concise Oxford English Dictionary' includes more than 240,000 words, phrases, and definitions and hundreds of new words... The completely updated version of the CD-ROM includes the fully revised edition of the A-Z text that can be easily installed on a hard drive for maximum accessibility."

4. The Endangered English Dictionary

by David Grambs. Norton. From the publisher: "We hear about the richness of the English language, how many more words it contains than French or German, and yet modern desk dictionaries are the result of a paring away of that glory so that merely standard, functional, current words remain."

5. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary

Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. From the publisher: "The new Eleventh Edition of America's best-selling dictionary merges print, CD-ROM, and Internet-based formats to deliver unprecedented accessibility and flexibility at one affordable price. Fully revised print content features more than 225,000 clear and precise definitions and more than 10,000 words and meanings. Includes easily installable CD-ROM."

6. The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations

by Elizabeth Knowles (Editor) Oxford. From the publisher: "The 'Oxford Dictionary of Quotations' has been long hailed as the most literary quotation book available, and the newest edition is the largest and most comprehensive of its kind. Over 20,000 quotations from every era and every location bring you the wisdom of ages and the sound bites of today. The text is a browser's paradise that allows the reader the identify who said what, and when, and where."

7. Oxford English Reference Dictionary

by Judy Pearsall (Editor). Oxford. From the publisher: "The Oxford English Reference Dictionary extendes the aims of conventional dictionaries to be more useful, more practical, and more informative. It combines the coverage of an authoritative Oxford dictionary containing spellings, grammar information, pronunciations, and word origins, with in-depth encyclopedic entries."

8. The Penguin Webster's Handy College Dictionary

by Albert H. Morehead. Penguin. From the publisher: "The bestselling dictionary-now available in a larger paperback format for the first time. A resource favorite since 1958, 'The Penguin Webster Handy College Dictionary' features: Easy-to-follow advice on correct usage and grammar; Foreign words and phrases; Boxed inserts on etymologies and language usage;Languages and language families..."

9. The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology

by C.T. Onions (Editor). Oxford. From the publisher: "This comprehensive dictionary by one of our century's greatest language scholars provides a clear and brief account of the origins, history, and sense-development of more than 38,000 words."

10. Harpercollins Student Notebook Webster's Dictionary

HarperCollins. From the publisher: "Quick reference and grammar for papers and tests. More than 75,000 references and definitions with clearly indicated usage and pronunciation. Ideal for school and finishing homework fast."