| Synopsis: |
This is a major revision of this landmark Australian dictionary that was first published in 1999. The Australian Oxford Dictionary is edited by Australia's most influential lexicographer, Dr. Bruce Moore, Director of the Australian National Dictionary Centre. This flagship dictionary draws on the databases of Australian English at the Australian National Dictionary Centre--including its fast-growing national corpus current usage and its research into Australian English--and those of incomparable Australian Oxford Dictionary. A distinguishing feature of the Australian Oxford Dictionary is its encyclopaedic content. There are more than 10,000 encyclopaedic entries, and these are more detailed than those in any comparable Australian dictionary. For example, the place-name entries not only geographically locate the place in question, but also provide information about the character of the place and its historical, economic, or political importance. There are detailed entries on many topics--political parties, religious organizations, historical events, mythological and fictional characters, and more. In addition, many lexical items which are normally given only very brief treatment in conventional dictionaries are here often given detailed explanatory coverage. Many specific subjects, concepts, movements, and events are presented as self-contained articles following the dictionary entry, be it on black holes, existentialism, computers, Marxism, osmosis, Romanesque, tragedy, or the zodiac. In both lexical and encyclopaedic entries special attention has been paid to Australian words and subjects. The major feature of this new edition, however, is the addition of some 10,000 new lexical items, dramatically increasing the core size of the dictionary. The ultimate guide to contemporary Australian English, this is the most authoritative Australian Dictionary. But it is not just a dictionary for scholars or pedants--it describes our changing language in such a clear and entertaining way, that it is the essential reference for the new millennium. |