Title: Chambers Dictionary

Publisher: Chambers Harrap, 1998.

Guideline Price:£20

The classic work for crosswords, Scrabble® and other word games, now in a new edition first published in 1998. It defines itself as 'the largest, bestselling and most comprehensive single-volume English dictionary', lays claim to 'the richest range of English language from Shakespeare to the present day' and sums itself up as 'the authority on English today'. With a 100-year pedigree, over 300,000 definitions and a joyous selection of articles and appendices, these boasts are not unjustified.

From the Domesday Book to the Internet, words old and new, simple and obscure; all with clear, concise and often witty definitions, accompanied by derivatives, compounds, phrases and etymology. Standard abbreviations and American English are included within the text. The usual preambles, such as rules of spelling and pronunciation, are lucid and helpful, and there is a readable and fascinating brief history of the English language. Appendices include the plays of Shakespeare and the books of the Bible; phrases and quotations from Greek, Latin and modern foreign languages; first names with meanings; the Greek and Russian alphabets and Roman numerals.

This is the official source book for Scrabble® and is widely used by both crossword compilers and solvers. A superb dictionary with useful reference features, this is highly recommended if you are planning to invest in a new dictionary.

Rosemary Greenlaw

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