--- product_id: 112972388 title: "Shorter Oxford English Dictionary" price: "2950 kr" currency: NOK in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.no/products/112972388-shorter-oxford-english-dictionary store_origin: NO region: Norway --- # Shorter Oxford English Dictionary **Price:** 2950 kr **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Shorter Oxford English Dictionary - **How much does it cost?** 2950 kr with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.no](https://www.desertcart.no/products/112972388-shorter-oxford-english-dictionary) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description From the beginning, the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary was intended to be an abridgement of the full Oxford English Dictionary. The first editor, William Little, was appointed in 1902. He worked on it until his death in 1922, after which the dictionary was completed by H. W. Fowler, Jessie Coulson, and C. T. Onions. The First Edition was published in 1933, in two volumes. The Second Edition, published in 1936, contained about 3,000 revisions and additions. The Third Edition (1944) contained an appendix of addenda and corrigenda, and this edition was reprinted several times with corrections and additions, the most significant being in 1973, with enlarged addenda (now running to over 70 pages) and a major revision of all the etymologies. The New Shorter was prepared under the editorship of Lesley Brown 1980-1993. It was the first complete revision of the dictionary, being in fact not so much an overhaul of the existing text as a reabridgement of the OED and its Supplements. The Fifth Edition was published in 2002, and reverted to the name Shorter Oxford English Dictionary to emphasize the link between this 2-volume dictionary and the original 20-volume OED. The Sixth Edition of the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary provides a complete update of this unique reference work. Based on the 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary, the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary contains an incredible one-third of the coverage of the Oxford English Dictionary, is just one-tenth of the size, and includes all words in current English from 1700 to the present day, plus the vocabulary of Shakespeare, the Bible and other major works in English from before 1700. The new edition, with a new introductory essay by language expert David Crystal on the History of English, includes 2,500 new words and senses, plus thousands of antedatings of existing words, drawing on the huge ongoing research project for the Oxford English Dictionary and the wealth of information on language in use provided by the Oxford English Corpus. In addition, the work includes many new quotations from recent authors, a refreshed design, and a complete review of spelling forms and defining vocabulary, making it the most authoritative reference work available for both modern and historical English. For scholars and everyone with a serious interest in the English language, the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary is an unrivalled resource, providing a unique description of the historical development of the language together with excellent coverage of current English. The Sixth Edition showcases the best of the traditional strengths of the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, while bringing it up to date in its scholarship and research, in the design and layout, and in its treatment of the changing face of English. - Contains more than 600,000 words, phrases, and definitions, with coverage of language from the entire English-speaking world, from North America and the UK to South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and the Caribbean - Fully updated with 2,500 new words and meanings based on the ongoing research programme of Oxford Dictionaries and the Oxford English Corpus - Contains all the vocabulary current in general English from 1700 to the present day, as well as earlier major literary works, including Shakespeare, Milton's poetry, the Authorized Version of the Bible, and Spenser's Faerie Queene - Excellent coverage of all types of English encompassing slang, dialect words, technical, historical, and literary terms, and rare and obsolete words - Contains over 80,000 quotations illustrating words in use throughout the centuries and thousands of newly discovered antedatings based on the ongoing research for the OED - A never-before-published, introductory essay by the eminent language commentator David Crystal on the History of English provides a stimulating insight into the development of the English language - Completely refreshed design and layout highlights the links between meanings and quotations for ease of use and aesthetic appeal Review: Dust Jacket, CD, Lexicographomania and trivia - The impressive box cover is a foldable protective device and not a Slip Cover. The artwork on the slippery Dust Jacket is not reproduced on the blue covers, unlike the DK Oxford Illustrated Dictionaries. With strong glue and sensible folding, a home-made slip cover can be fashioned from the box cover. Shamelessly, I can "request" my staff put on a plastic wrap right away (outside their job description!), while I am going to the computer to order another set for my home. Better investment than futures derivatives and other dictionaries, I think. These two volumes need to have mylar plastic jackets with custom-made retaining end-pockets, so the publishers may want to consider this as an optional extra. I consider custom-made plastic jackets Mandatory, and those who do not want the Mylar jacket can just slip it away. Thus plastic protected, this Dictionary makes excellent reading from cover to cover, like a novel. The layout is superb. The words stand out. Etymology is usefully condensed and unobstrusive. All words are of the Good to Know category, and this is the FEEL GOOD dictionary of all time. I read it recreationally. I wondered if the CD proclaimed loudly on the protective box dropped out during shipping, but it was found securely stuck on an inside page at the end of Volume 2. Shrink wrapping on the 2 volumes means the CD is tamper-proof. This dictionary is more likely to go up in price rather than down. It was once Eligible for Super-Saver Shipping (mine), but this is no longer the case. Lock in your order now, before you get charged for the CD, which I thought was a pleasant unadvertised bonus. There is a hefty premium for the CD with the Concise Oxford. Much has been said of the scarily thin paper printed in Italy. I tugged on random pages and opined it can withstand a lifetime of reasonable use without tearing. It is not the heavy duty paper of the 1993 editionS, (there were several versions), which were ironically Printed in the United States of America, and had the American pronouncing key in many 1993 versions. This edition has the International Phonetic Transcription. I pinched a singular thin page with both hands and managed to lift the spine half an inch off the table with that singular page before my nerves gave way, rather than the page. The paper was of high quality; bright and pleasing to touch. Very little of the print on the reverse page can be "seen through", and the translucent effect was not noticeable unless you looked for it. Paradoxically, a different dictionary from another reputable publisher with much thicker Finnish paper had the print of the reverse page showing through. Words are divided into: A. MUST KNOW: the 3000 core words of any language which enables you to read the newspaper in that language, B. SHOULD KNOW: the 10000 words which allows you to argue, persuade, communicate, get a raise, and make you sound smart, C. GOOD TO KNOW: that is our SHORTER OXFORD forte. No archaic words. There is not a single word which might not come in handy one day. This is a fascinating journey of discovery into words I should have looked up, but was too lazy to do so at the time - reading in the toilet, space shuttle, being legit excuses, and D. THERE TO KNOW: which is the 20 Volume "Mother" OXFORD, which is also fascinating reading, but I have rarely bothered to resort to it for two decades, except in extremis, and it remains a vanity possession. The Head-letter of each and every entry is not auto-capitalised, unlike some idiotic 1993 versions. You can figure out how "Bangalore torpedo" is capitalised, but it is useful to know "clarence" the coach is not capitalised. If only I had known this dictionary was so reader friendly, I would have raved less about some other dictionaries, which are now reduced to compendiums by this Shorter Oxford. Let me explain: a. all Latin phrases are there, so there is no pressing need for a separate dictionary of latin phrases; and they are in useful phrase form, not in single word form which drives you crazy, b. all French phrases in common and uncommon use are there, c. all the commonly used Chinese, Japanese, asian romanised terms are there, d. all the medical terms of a small medical dictionary are there - "trust me, I am a doctor" :) - so there is no need for you to buy a "just in case" medical dictionary. I believe this applies to the "contingency" dictionaries in other professional disciplines and liberal arts. I am afraid to point out examples from the fabulous array of medical terms and products, for fear that my colleagues might construe it as a sign of my prior ignorance of these terms, e. a dictionary of Acronyms would now be totally subsumed, ...I think you get the idea of just how usefully comprehensive this work is. I am going to postpone my purchase of a Hebrew-English dictionary after finding "Talmid Chacham" (smart-ass) properly explained. For legal definitions, I would rather have professionally researched words, but I can foresee this Shorter Oxford coming in useful as evidence of Every Day usage of the English words, replacing the Concise Oxford, like in libel suits. Just about every small "specialised" dictionary, even technical ones, has been subsumed within the latest Shorter Oxford. In this respect, it is great value for money. Fear of clowns, "coulrophobia", on page 535, cannot be found in the 20 Volume Oxford and its Addition Series, nor in large Medical Dictionaries, nor in The American Psychiatric Association's DSM-IV TR Manual - shame! At the time of this review, it has been marked down from the list price of $175 to $110. In 1993, the dictionary was 39.95 pounds sterling. Some later revisions were 79.95 pounds sterling; special versions priced, well, specially. Given the exchange rate then of English money, the current Shorter Oxford is cheaper today in absolute terms. And if you factor in the purchasing power of money in 1993, you are getting this at just a fraction of the inflation-adjusted 1990s price, and a free CD too. To the Editors' credit, the Shorter Oxford steers well clear from being a thesaurus. Precise definitions are given, not a list of similar words leaving you wondering how to match the meaning with the appropriate simile. The height of the Shorter Oxford is just slightly less than the 20 Volume Mother Oxford. I suspect these two colourfully jacketed volumes are to join the 2009 (now printed in China) Mother Oxford , forming the preface of a 22 volume set. Sneaky. Other than my gripe with the unfortified Dust Jacket, this super-duper Edition merits association with the word "lexicographomania", which is not in the Shorter Oxford, but neither is it in the 20 volume Mother Oxford. And yes, the Shorter Oxford deliberately leaves out many portmanteau words where you can go figure out the meaning for yourself. Review: Highly recommended for English learners like me who now need a "grownup" English dictionary. - I went to collect these two handsome volumes at my local post office in the morning of September 16, 2011, together with Roget's International Thesaurus and Merriam-Webster Reference Set. I chose the cheapest shipping way of getting them to Beijing, China. When I opened the bag, I sadly found that my Roget's book's upper spine got smashed. This is a blessing, though. Roget's absorbed the brunt of impacts and kept my dear SOED safe and sound! So be warned: if your ordered SOED has to travel a long distance, you will want to choose a stronger package. But I'm not sure desertcart offers this option. The two volumes are thick, big and heavy. It's Shorter only in relation to the 20-volume OED. Paper is good. Binding robust. Three-columned and clearly typeset. This book comes with a CD-Rom, which I only found out after seeing a postcard about registering MY SOED CD-ROM. The Flash-based software works fine. It's supposed to house all the SOED entries. But I don't know why the software interface shows the number of entries at only 170,263. The editors did an excellent job of defining words. I found two that are particularly interesting: 1. Terrorism: Terrorist principles and practices; the unofficial or unauthorized use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims; the fact of terrorizing or being terrorized. (I wrote a blog post about this entry:[...]) Of course, you can find lots of definitions of what terrorism is. But this SOED one is unique: ... the unofficial or unauthorized use of violence and intimidation.... What if it IS official or authorized? Then, it's War. (The state of (usu. open and declared) armed conflict between nations or states; armed hostilities between nations or states, or between parties in the same nation or state; the employment of armed forces against a foreign power, or against an opposing party in the state. Also (now chiefly arch. or joc.) in pl. (treated as pl. or sing.) in same sense.) 2. Vegetarian: A person who on principle abstains from animal food; esp. one who avoids meat but will consume dairy produce and eggs and sometimes also fish. (v.s. Collins' Unabridged definition "a person who does not eat or does not believe in eating meat, fish, fowl, or, in some cases, any food derived from animals, as eggs or cheese, but subsists on vegetables, fruits, nuts, grain, etc." and ) I thought a veg never eats any animal products. It's clear that some vegs consider fish or dairy products good to eat. SOED should be the ultimate choice for anyone who love English dictionaries but don't need the 20-volume OED. Highly recommended for English learners like me who now need a "grownup" English dictionary. ## Features - New - Mint Condition - Dispatch same day for order received before 12 noon - Guaranteed packaging - No quibbles returns ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #192,569 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #92 in Dictionaries (Books) #110 in English Dictionaries & Thesauruses #274 in Vocabulary Books | | Customer Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 stars 263 Reviews | ## Images ![Shorter Oxford English Dictionary - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81otRfoYkEL.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Media Format** options. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Dust Jacket, CD, Lexicographomania and trivia *by D***G on January 12, 2010* The impressive box cover is a foldable protective device and not a Slip Cover. The artwork on the slippery Dust Jacket is not reproduced on the blue covers, unlike the DK Oxford Illustrated Dictionaries. With strong glue and sensible folding, a home-made slip cover can be fashioned from the box cover. Shamelessly, I can "request" my staff put on a plastic wrap right away (outside their job description!), while I am going to the computer to order another set for my home. Better investment than futures derivatives and other dictionaries, I think. These two volumes need to have mylar plastic jackets with custom-made retaining end-pockets, so the publishers may want to consider this as an optional extra. I consider custom-made plastic jackets Mandatory, and those who do not want the Mylar jacket can just slip it away. Thus plastic protected, this Dictionary makes excellent reading from cover to cover, like a novel. The layout is superb. The words stand out. Etymology is usefully condensed and unobstrusive. All words are of the Good to Know category, and this is the FEEL GOOD dictionary of all time. I read it recreationally. I wondered if the CD proclaimed loudly on the protective box dropped out during shipping, but it was found securely stuck on an inside page at the end of Volume 2. Shrink wrapping on the 2 volumes means the CD is tamper-proof. This dictionary is more likely to go up in price rather than down. It was once Eligible for Super-Saver Shipping (mine), but this is no longer the case. Lock in your order now, before you get charged for the CD, which I thought was a pleasant unadvertised bonus. There is a hefty premium for the CD with the Concise Oxford. Much has been said of the scarily thin paper printed in Italy. I tugged on random pages and opined it can withstand a lifetime of reasonable use without tearing. It is not the heavy duty paper of the 1993 editionS, (there were several versions), which were ironically Printed in the United States of America, and had the American pronouncing key in many 1993 versions. This edition has the International Phonetic Transcription. I pinched a singular thin page with both hands and managed to lift the spine half an inch off the table with that singular page before my nerves gave way, rather than the page. The paper was of high quality; bright and pleasing to touch. Very little of the print on the reverse page can be "seen through", and the translucent effect was not noticeable unless you looked for it. Paradoxically, a different dictionary from another reputable publisher with much thicker Finnish paper had the print of the reverse page showing through. Words are divided into: A. MUST KNOW: the 3000 core words of any language which enables you to read the newspaper in that language, B. SHOULD KNOW: the 10000 words which allows you to argue, persuade, communicate, get a raise, and make you sound smart, C. GOOD TO KNOW: that is our SHORTER OXFORD forte. No archaic words. There is not a single word which might not come in handy one day. This is a fascinating journey of discovery into words I should have looked up, but was too lazy to do so at the time - reading in the toilet, space shuttle, being legit excuses, and D. THERE TO KNOW: which is the 20 Volume "Mother" OXFORD, which is also fascinating reading, but I have rarely bothered to resort to it for two decades, except in extremis, and it remains a vanity possession. The Head-letter of each and every entry is not auto-capitalised, unlike some idiotic 1993 versions. You can figure out how "Bangalore torpedo" is capitalised, but it is useful to know "clarence" the coach is not capitalised. If only I had known this dictionary was so reader friendly, I would have raved less about some other dictionaries, which are now reduced to compendiums by this Shorter Oxford. Let me explain: a. all Latin phrases are there, so there is no pressing need for a separate dictionary of latin phrases; and they are in useful phrase form, not in single word form which drives you crazy, b. all French phrases in common and uncommon use are there, c. all the commonly used Chinese, Japanese, asian romanised terms are there, d. all the medical terms of a small medical dictionary are there - "trust me, I am a doctor" :) - so there is no need for you to buy a "just in case" medical dictionary. I believe this applies to the "contingency" dictionaries in other professional disciplines and liberal arts. I am afraid to point out examples from the fabulous array of medical terms and products, for fear that my colleagues might construe it as a sign of my prior ignorance of these terms, e. a dictionary of Acronyms would now be totally subsumed, ...I think you get the idea of just how usefully comprehensive this work is. I am going to postpone my purchase of a Hebrew-English dictionary after finding "Talmid Chacham" (smart-ass) properly explained. For legal definitions, I would rather have professionally researched words, but I can foresee this Shorter Oxford coming in useful as evidence of Every Day usage of the English words, replacing the Concise Oxford, like in libel suits. Just about every small "specialised" dictionary, even technical ones, has been subsumed within the latest Shorter Oxford. In this respect, it is great value for money. Fear of clowns, "coulrophobia", on page 535, cannot be found in the 20 Volume Oxford and its Addition Series, nor in large Medical Dictionaries, nor in The American Psychiatric Association's DSM-IV TR Manual - shame! At the time of this review, it has been marked down from the list price of $175 to $110. In 1993, the dictionary was 39.95 pounds sterling. Some later revisions were 79.95 pounds sterling; special versions priced, well, specially. Given the exchange rate then of English money, the current Shorter Oxford is cheaper today in absolute terms. And if you factor in the purchasing power of money in 1993, you are getting this at just a fraction of the inflation-adjusted 1990s price, and a free CD too. To the Editors' credit, the Shorter Oxford steers well clear from being a thesaurus. Precise definitions are given, not a list of similar words leaving you wondering how to match the meaning with the appropriate simile. The height of the Shorter Oxford is just slightly less than the 20 Volume Mother Oxford. I suspect these two colourfully jacketed volumes are to join the 2009 (now printed in China) Mother Oxford , forming the preface of a 22 volume set. Sneaky. Other than my gripe with the unfortified Dust Jacket, this super-duper Edition merits association with the word "lexicographomania", which is not in the Shorter Oxford, but neither is it in the 20 volume Mother Oxford. And yes, the Shorter Oxford deliberately leaves out many portmanteau words where you can go figure out the meaning for yourself. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Highly recommended for English learners like me who now need a "grownup" English dictionary. *by C***A on November 15, 2011* I went to collect these two handsome volumes at my local post office in the morning of September 16, 2011, together with Roget's International Thesaurus and Merriam-Webster Reference Set. I chose the cheapest shipping way of getting them to Beijing, China. When I opened the bag, I sadly found that my Roget's book's upper spine got smashed. This is a blessing, though. Roget's absorbed the brunt of impacts and kept my dear SOED safe and sound! So be warned: if your ordered SOED has to travel a long distance, you will want to choose a stronger package. But I'm not sure Amazon offers this option. The two volumes are thick, big and heavy. It's Shorter only in relation to the 20-volume OED. Paper is good. Binding robust. Three-columned and clearly typeset. This book comes with a CD-Rom, which I only found out after seeing a postcard about registering MY SOED CD-ROM. The Flash-based software works fine. It's supposed to house all the SOED entries. But I don't know why the software interface shows the number of entries at only 170,263. The editors did an excellent job of defining words. I found two that are particularly interesting: 1. Terrorism: Terrorist principles and practices; the unofficial or unauthorized use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims; the fact of terrorizing or being terrorized. (I wrote a blog post about this entry:[...]) Of course, you can find lots of definitions of what terrorism is. But this SOED one is unique: ... the unofficial or unauthorized use of violence and intimidation.... What if it IS official or authorized? Then, it's War. (The state of (usu. open and declared) armed conflict between nations or states; armed hostilities between nations or states, or between parties in the same nation or state; the employment of armed forces against a foreign power, or against an opposing party in the state. Also (now chiefly arch. or joc.) in pl. (treated as pl. or sing.) in same sense.) 2. Vegetarian: A person who on principle abstains from animal food; esp. one who avoids meat but will consume dairy produce and eggs and sometimes also fish. (v.s. Collins' Unabridged definition "a person who does not eat or does not believe in eating meat, fish, fowl, or, in some cases, any food derived from animals, as eggs or cheese, but subsists on vegetables, fruits, nuts, grain, etc." and ) I thought a veg never eats any animal products. It's clear that some vegs consider fish or dairy products good to eat. SOED should be the ultimate choice for anyone who love English dictionaries but don't need the 20-volume OED. Highly recommended for English learners like me who now need a "grownup" English dictionary. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Almost Too Nice to Use *by S***L on September 12, 2008* Note: I've noticed that this review is appearing on the pages of other Shorter Oxford products, such as the CD ROM version. This review exclusively refers to the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary: Deluxe Sixth Edition . This is the leatherbound, two-volume set. --- So much has been written about the scholarship of the Shorter OED that I elect not to debate it here. Nonetheless, you might be interested in the physicality of what you're buying. In a word, both the quality and the aesthetic presentation of this Deluxe Edition are extraordinary. The binding construction is first-rate, and as close to old-world craftsmanship as one might reasonably expect. (If you're familiar with Easton Press leatherbound editions; these volumes are on par. However, the OED editions lack the hubbed spines and moire fabric endsheets that are customary with Easton Press.) The paper seems to be inimitably thin - almost akin to a rice paper of some sort. You may be familiar with the razor-thin paper used in the Norton Anthology of English Literature; this is empirically similar. The pages are a bright white, and the typeface contrast is bold and clear. Unlike the Compact OED, most people can read this without a magnifying glass. For what it's worth, these volumes are printed in Italy. They are heirloom editions that may very well last a lifetime or longer. However, they are almost too nice to use as rigorously as you might be initially inclined to do. (I find myself treating my set with kid gloves. There's a strange irony here.) The Oxford blue leather bindings are tastefully stunning. Although delicate, the gold-gilded edging keeps moisture and dust away from the pages. The satin ribbon page markers are a nice touch. The slipcase is cardboard, and although sufficient for its purpose, it is less than luxurious. But overall, as a gift for a loved one or for yourself; this ensemble will not disappoint. Assuredly, you will not find a nicer dictionary from any publisher at any price. (It also helps that this happens to be the OED, albeit the Shorter.) Finally; this purchase includes a 12-month subscription to the OED Online. (Oxford sells personal subscriptions for $295.00/year.) Some libraries furnish online access for free, but for those of us who aren't so fortunate, this is a sweet perquisite. ## Frequently Bought Together - Shorter Oxford English Dictionary - Sixth Edition (set of 2 books) - Oxford Thesaurus of English - Oxford Modern English Grammar --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.no/products/112972388-shorter-oxford-english-dictionary](https://www.desertcart.no/products/112972388-shorter-oxford-english-dictionary) --- *Product available on Desertcart Norway* *Store origin: NO* *Last updated: 2026-10-07*