Reference Books > Dictionaries

Finalist - 2003 Montana NZ Book Awards, Reference and Anthology category. Many thousands of New Zealanders are familiar with New Zealand Sign Language which, like other natural languages, is a real language - a structured system of handshapes and movements located within a signing space. These form a system of meaning symbols which are able to express ideas, just as words are combined into sentences in spoken languages. This essential guide to the language contains over 2,500 commonly used signs, along with valuable learning tools.... read more

Do you know the difference between acetic and ascetic? Burgers and burghers? Bucolic and alcoholic? Complaisant and compliant? A cassock, a Cossack, a hassock, a hillock, a hummock and a pillock? If not, this book provides the answers. With entries varying from pithy brevity to mini essays, this textbook should be useful for anyone who has ever been caught using the wrong word in the wrong place (or been caught out being too clever by half). Readers, writers and students of media studies will find answers to frequently asked questi... read more

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New edition! An inexpensive edition of the book that SCRABBLE players call their bible. Ideal for recreational and school play. More than 100,000 playable two- to eight-letter words including 4,000 new entries. Includes British variant spelling for game players in Canada. Endorsed by the National SCRABBLE Association.

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The Chambers Dictionary is established as the dictionary of choice for all word-lovers and crossword enthusiasts. It is known for its comprehensive coverage of English and for its tradition of including the occasional light-hearted definition in its pages. Alone among modern single-volume dictionaries, it retains an interest in the past as well as the present, offering a rich stock of words from our literary heritage as well as covering recent developments in English. The dictionary has now been updated to include definitions of mo... read more

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A fully revised and updated edition of one of the world's best-loved reference books, bigger and better than ever, and with a creative and imaginative new editor. First published in 1870, Ebenezer Cobham Brewer's treasury of 'words that have a story to tell' is one of the world's best-loved reference books. At the heart of the dictionary lie entries on the meaning and origin of a vast range of words and expressions, from everyday English phrases to Latin tags. For the 17th edition of Brewer's, new editor John Ayto has revised a... read more

Oxford Dictionary of Quotations by Subject is a collection of over 7,000 quotations arranged thematically for easy look-up. Covering nearly 600 subjects, this book features a wealth of topics relevant to modern society, from Beauty, Baseball, and Belief to Patriotism, The Past, and Power. Themes new to this edition include Babies, Birthdays, Nine-Eleven, Retirement, Thanks, and Toasts. Quotations have been taken from a vast range of people around the world from ancient times to the present day, including philosophers, journalists, ... read more

Over 15,000 A-Z entries covering England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, make this the most comprehensive and up-to-date dictionary of British place names available. From Abbas Combe to Zennor, it gives the meaning and origin of names of counties, towns, and villages, tracing their development from earliest times to the present day. Invaluable for anyone finding out about a local area, lexicographers and local historians alike will be fascinated by what these place-names reveal. The dictionary features an in-depth introductory essay... read more

This extensive and versatile dictionary provides an unrivalled and more authoritative coverage of New Zealand and International English than any other pocket dictionary. • over 60,000 headwords • several hundred borrowings from te reo Maori are included • word origins for most entries • in-text panels provide guidance on usage, grammar, syntax, punctuation, and style • comprehensive coverage of New Zealand flora and fauna, and terms of historical importance • pronunciation given for most headwords, usi... read more

Winner of the Reference Award in the 2005 Montana New Zealand Book Awards The New Zealand Oxford Dictionary is the first large-scale English dictionary especially prepared for New Zealand users. It has been compiled at the New Zealand Dictionary Centre in Wellington, and reflects both the New Zealand Dictionary Centre’s research into New Zealand English and research into international English conducted by Oxford dictionary centres worldwide, especially the research for The Oxford English Dictionary. It contains ov... read more

The new look second edition of the Oxford Study Dictionary & Thesaurus combines two books in one, a dictionary at the front and a thesaurus at the back, both specifically compiled for school students. The dictionary section introduces students to the style in which most adult dictionaries are written but avoids using abbreviations and symbols to avoid confusion, while the thesaurus is an ideal reference for students to improve their writing and communication skills.

"The Penguin Dictionary of British Surnames" is a useful and fascinating guide to the surnames that offer a unique insight into the place of origin, the occupations - and even the personality traits - of our ancestors. Detailed and informative, this dictionary covers the widest range of British surnames and is essential reading for anyone intrigued by the story of their name and by the history of their family. This edition replaces our out of date (and out of print) 1967 edition. First published 1967 by author Basil Cottle; this... read more

With nearly 400,000 synonyms and antonyms, The Penguin Thesaurus is the most extensive, authoritative and modern wordfinder currently available. Its alphabetical arrangement of the headwords means that it is very easy to use. In addition where a headword has more than one meaning or nuance there are examples to help the reader locate which group of synonyms are appropriate. The coverage is the most up-to-date (including many slang and informal usages) of any thesaurus available.

Revised and updated for its second edition with new definitions and the latest buzzwords, The Penguin English Dictionary is the most accessible single-volume dictionary available. The Penguin English Dictionary offers a complete guide to the English language. As well as clear, detailed definitions, there are usage notes on difficult aspects of grammar and words that are often confused; there are short encyclopedia entries on concepts such as freedom, consciousness and structualism written by leading commentators in their fields (He... read more

The third edition of the "New Penguin English Dictionary" is a truly magnificent resource, to be trusted and treasured. Edited and compiled by world-renowned lexicographers, the dictionary retains the utmost authority on the English language by offering detailed and clear definitions plus word and phrase histories. In addition to traditional values, the dictionary is at the forefront of the evolution of English with hundreds of new words. This is Penguin's flagship dictionary and, as part of our "Penguin Reference Library", it draw... read more

Give yourself a head start! Collins New Zealand School Dictionary is the perfect companion for all students aged 11-14. With a clear design and in colour throughout, it is easy to use and full of useful features to help build language confidence and help with work and study. This new edition of Collins New Zealand School Dictionary has been developed with teachers to be the perfect tool for school work and homework. The clear layout makes finding entries exceptionally easy, and full definitions are given in simple language, ofte... read more

Ideal for families and students, this is essential for anyone needing a dictionary that supports online research in all areas (academic subjects as much as hobbies, sport and recreation) and study.Users can:Find out what the very latest buzz words meanKeep up-to-date with hi-tech vocabularyCheck key facts and datesDiscover more about terms used in different areas (e.g. Beaufort scale, musical notation and terms, internet terms, texting terms)Find out more with hot-links to thousands of websitesImprove communication skills in the mo... read more

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