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“More current than its closest rival in size....This is a ‘buy’. ” — Booklist STARRED REVIEW

As Oxford's flagship American dictionary, the New Oxford American Dictionary sets the standard of excellence for lexicography in this country. With more than 350,000 words, phrases, and senses, and hundreds of explanatory notes, this dictionary provides the most comprehensive and accurate coverage of American English available.

The dictionary draws on the two-billion-word Oxford English Corpus and the unrivaled citation files of the world-renowned Oxford English Dictionary to provide the most accurate and richly descriptive picture of American English ever offered in any dictionary. The Third Edition offers a thoroughly updated text, with revisions throughout and approximately 2,000 new words, phrases, and meanings. Many new words relate to fast-moving areas such as computing, technology, current affairs, and ecology, while others have recently entered the popular lexicon. Usage notes have been updated in light of the most recent Corpus evidence.

One of the hallmarks of the New Oxford American Dictionary is the way it reflects the living language. Unlike in more traditional dictionaries, where meanings are ordered chronologically according to the history of the language, each entry plainly shows the principal meaning or meanings of the word, organized by importance in today's English. Thus readers can be confident that the first definition they see is the one most likely to be used by people today, and is not a sense that has been obsolete for two centuries.

Offering clear, authoritative, and precise information, with the in-depth and up-to-date coverage that users need and expect, the New Oxford American Dictionary is the benchmark by which all other American dictionaries are measured.

Over 4,500 entries

This dictionary is the most wide-ranging and comprehensive of its kind, covering the essential vocabulary for everyday archaeological work in the English language. There is coverage of principles, theories, techniques, artefacts, materials, people, places, monuments, equipment, and descriptive terms.

The dictionary focuses especially on Europe, the Old World, and the Americas, and covers legislation relating to the United Kingdom and the USA, though this third edition does add a fair number of entries relating to the Near East and Asia. These include Angara Style, Donghulin Culture, Hasanlu, Samarra Culture, and Tel Tsaf, as well as a new appendix listing Chinese rulers and dynasties.

Written by a leading authority, the dictionary’s detailed but clear entries provide an essential reference source for students, teachers, professionals, and enthusiasts alike.

Over 2,500 entries

Covering Western art from the ancient Greeks to the present day, this best-selling and authoritative dictionary is more wide-ranging than any comparable reference work. It contains clear and concise entries on styles and movements, materials and techniques, and museums and galleries. It also includes biographical entries for artists, critics, collectors, dealers, and patrons, with places and full dates of birth and death (in many instances correcting misinformation that has found its way into other sources). For this new edition, entries have been thoroughly revised and updated, and almost fifty new entries have been added, for example Ai Weiwei and Anne Vallayer-Coster. Written in an engaging manner with many entries enlivened by quotations from artists and critics, this dictionary is a pleasure to browse, and it is ideal for artists, visitors to art exhibitions and galleries, and anyone with an interest in art.

The Concise Dictionary of Art Terms is an accessible and useful A-Z, covering a wide range of terms from the visual art world, including materials, techniques, and important styles and periods.

In this new edition, the text has been fully revised and updated to reflect the latest developments in the field. It has also been expanded with more than 100 brand new entries, focusing primarily on modern and contemporary art materials and techniques.

From abstract art to woodcuts, and the Baroque Revival to ziggurats, this highly readable dictionary is the ideal reference source for students of Art and all related subjects, for gallery visitors, and for all people interested in the visual arts.

This dictionary features broad-ranging entries on the history and doctrines of the major Buddhist schools, information on the spread of Buddhism in Asia and the West, and coverage of issues of contemporary concern such as human rights, abortion, euthanasia, ‘engaged Buddhism’, and the role of women in Buddhist teachings.

A comprehensive and accessible survey of the whole of Celtic mythology, legend, saga, and folklore. It covers the people, themes, concepts, places, and creatures of Celtic mythology, from both ancient and modern traditions, in 4,000 entries ranging from brief definitions to short essays.

Over 3,200 entries

This dictionary provides definitions and explanations for chemical engineering terms in areas including: materials, energy balances, reactions, separations, sustainability, safety, and ethics. Comprehensively cross-referenced and complemented by over 60 line drawings, this dictionary is the most authoritative of its kind. It also covers many pertinent terms from the fields of chemistry, physics, biology, and mathematics.

Focusing exclusively on real people, this is a dictionary of ancient biography, covering Greek and Roman history and politics, literature, philosophy, science, and art. Shorter entries provide lucid factual accounts, while the longer entries are short essays covering major historical and cultural themes in antiquity, centred round individuals as varied as Herodotus, Socrates, Plato, Alexander the Great, and Augustus.

‘“No home should be without one” certainly applies to this splendid medical dictionary’ – Journal of the Institute of Health Education

Over 12,500 entries

This bestselling and market-leading dictionary covers all aspects of medical science and terminology. Written by a team of medical experts, it has been fully revised and updated for this new edition to reflect the latest in medical knowledge and practice. Accessible entries are complemented by over 150 illustrations. The 10th edition includes over 250 new entries and features up-to-date coverage of public health medicine and general practice, drugs and pharmacology, endocrinology, cardiology, and radiology, among other specialist areas. Recommended web links are provided for many entries, and a list of entries by subject has been added to aid navigation.

Selling over a million copies in previous editions, this is an essential A–Z for students and those working in the medical and allied professions, including nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, social workers, hospital administrators, and medical secretaries. It is also an invaluable home reference guide for the general reader.

Over 1,500 entries

For nearly half a century, James D. Hart's Oxford Companion to American Literature has offered a matchless guided tour through American literary culture, both past and present, with brief biographies of important authors, descriptions of important literary movements, and a wealth of information on other aspects of American literary life and history from the Colonial period to the present day.

In this second edition of the Concise version, Wendy Martin and Danielle Hinrichs bring the work up to date to more fully reflect the diversity of the subject. Their priorities have been, foremost, to fully represent the impact of writers of color and women writers on the field of American literature and to increase the usefulness of the work to students of literary theory.

To this end, over 230 new entries have been added, including many that cover women authors; Native American, African American, Asian American, Latino/a, and other contemporary ethnic literatures; LGBT, trans, and queer studies; and recent literary movements and evolving areas of contemporary relevance such as eco-criticism, disability studies, whiteness studies, male/masculinity studies, and diaspora studies.

Over 3,250 entries

The third edition of this dictionary is an authoritative and invaluable reference source covering every aspect of its wide-ranging field. It spans grammar, phonetics, semantics, languages (spoken and written), dialects, and sociolinguistics. Clear examples—and diagrams where appropriate—help to convey the meanings of even the most technical terms. It also incorporates entries on key scholars of linguistics, both ancient and modern, summarising their specialisms and achievements.

With existing entries thoroughly revised and updated, and the addition of 100 new entries, this new edition expands its coverage of semantics, as well as recently emerging terminology within, for example, syntactic theory and sociolinguistics.

Wide-ranging and with clear definitions, it is the ideal reference for students and teachers in language-related courses, and a great introduction to linguistics for the general reader with an interest in language and its study.

Over 4,000 entries

This informative A to Z provides clear, jargon-free definitions of a wide variety of mathematical terms. Its articles cover both pure and applied mathematics and statistics, and include key theories, concepts, methods, programmes, people, and terminology.

For this sixth edition, around 800 new terms have been defined, expanding on the dictionary’s coverage of algebra, differential geometry, algebraic geometry, representation theory, and statistics. Among this new material are articles such as cardinal arithmetic, first fundamental form, Lagrange’s theorem, Navier-Stokes equations, potential, and splitting field. The existing entries have also been revised and updated to account for developments in the field.

Numerous supplementary features complement the text, including detailed appendices on basic algebra, areas and volumes, trigonometric formulae, and Roman numerals. Newly added to these sections is a historical timeline of significant mathematicians’ lives and the emergence of key theorems. There are also illustrations, graphs, and charts throughout the text, as well as useful web links to provide access to further reading.

Over 1,700 entries

Written by a leading team of political scientists, this dictionary embraces the multi-disciplinary spectrum of political theory including political thinkers, history, institutions, theories, and schools of thought, as well as notable current affairs that have shaped attitudes to politics.

Fully updated for its fourth edition, it has had its coverage of international relations heavily revised and expanded, reflected in its title change, and it includes a wealth of new material in areas such as international institutions, peace building, human security, security studies, global governance, and open economy politics.

The dictionary is international in its coverage and will prove invaluable to students and academics studying politics and related disciplines, as well as politicians, journalists, and the general reader seeking clarification of political terms.

Over 6,000 entries

Based on the highly acclaimed Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, this is an indispensable guide for both students and the general reader. It provides authoritative coverage of theology, patristic scholarship, churches and denominations across the world, canon law, and the church calendar, as well as entries on theologians, philosophers, artists, musicians, and mystics.

The third edition has been updated to reflect recent changes in the Church. Over 100 new entries cover topics such as the Antonian Movement, dispensationalism, Heilsgeschichte, Alvin Plantinga, Garima Gospels, and Intelligent Design. It also includes a new appendix listing the Archbishops of Canterbury and a list of recommended web links.

This dictionary explores the history, meanings, and origin of place names around the world. It covers continents, countries, regions, islands, bays, capes, cities, towns, deserts, lakes, mountains, and rivers, giving the name in the local language as well as key historical facts associated with many place names.

The sixth edition includes final recognition of the name Myanmar in place of Burma. Some amendments reflect changes in spelling and romanization systems. Furthermore, official recognition is being given to the greater use of indigenous names.

In addition to the entries themselves, the dictionary includes a glossary of foreign word elements which appear in place names and their meaning, as well as a list of personalities and leaders who have influenced the naming of places around the world.

This online-only Dictionary of Abbreviations, exclusive to Oxford Reference Online, includes over 100,000 abbreviations and acronyms in alphabetical and numerical order, including the world's airports, airlines, currencies, astronomical signs and symbols, atomic numbers, and stocks codes, as well as computer, country, financial, medical, military, police, publishing, railway, scientific, technical, transportation, and United Nations abbreviations and acronyms, not to mention European food additive numbers!

Over 3,900 entries

This best-selling dictionary contains entries on all aspects of accounting, including financial accounting, financial reporting, management accounting, taxation, auditing, corporate finance, and accounting bodies and institutions. Its international coverage includes important terms from the UK, US, Australia, India, and Asia-Pacific.

New entries reflect the latest developments in the accounting profession, e.g. Accounting Council, European Financial Stability Mechanism, and General Anti-Abuse Rule. Existing entries have been updated to cover the latest developments, most notably the Financial Reporting Standard Applicable in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, which sets out new rules in areas such as goodwill, hedge accounting, and fair value accounting. There is increased coverage of topics such as corporate governance, accounting ethics, accounting scandals, and major firms and professional bodies.

This dictionary is essential for students and professionals in accounting and finance, and an ideal source of reference for anyone seeking a clear guide to the often-confusing world of accountancy terms.

This collection of fascinating, mysterious, and revealing tales captures the immense sweep and diversity of African mythology. The stories touch on virtually every aspect of belief: gods and goddesses, epic heroes and divine tricksters, along with epics of the world's origins, the struggle between the human and the divine, and much more. Entries cover the entire continent, from the mouth of the Nile to the Cape of Good Hope.

Here, for example, is the tale of Abu Zayd (from the Bani Hilal of Tunisia), an epic hero who battles a jinni; and here too is a myth of how the moon and the toad created the first man and woman, from the Soko of Congo. Each story is told, and information provided about the respective belief system, the main characters, and related stories or variants.

This magnificent collection not only provides hundreds of fascinating myths, but also recaptures their cultural contexts, in which story and storyteller, tradition and performance, all merge.

Over 350 entries

This new dictionary provides clear and authoritative definitions of terms within the fast-growing field of African Politics. It includes coverage of elections, parties, judiciaries, popular protest, gender relations, the politics of development, and Africa’s international relations as well as major events and figures within African Politics. Entries range from Afrocentrism and the Bandung Conference to ‘Rhodes must fall’ and Sino–African relations and include key terms of particular relevance to Africa such as neopatrimonialism, queue voting, and post-conflict power-sharing. The dictionary also showcases the remarkably vibrant and insightful political language used in Africa, including a range of vernacular terms that are essential for a deep understanding of local political realities.

Written by a world-leading expert on the political science of Africa, this dictionary is an essential guide for both undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as academics, journalists, and researchers working on African politics.

Over 2,000 entries

This new dictionary covers both agriculture and land management, including animals and crops, farm machinery and systems, estate management, forestry and woodland, the environment, and rural recreation. It addresses the increasing overlap between agricultural sectors and the demands of the management of rural land and property.

Offering authoritative and up-to-date information on subjects ranging from soil management and renewable energy to land law, tourism, types of trees and crops, and organizations, policies, and legislation, it is an invaluable guide to agricultural terminology and a must-have for students of agriculture and land management, as well as for professionals in the agricultural and land-management sectors. Entries are complemented by illustrations and tables, including types of trees, crops, and soils, as well as of farm animals and diseases.

‘an excellent publication and a very useful quick reference tool’ - Carl Waldmann, Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Reading UK

Over 170 entries

A Dictionary of Anaesthesia clearly defines and describes essential terms relating to the science and practice of anaesthesia. These entries include the specific drugs that anaesthetists utilize, the techniques they apply to induce anaesthesia, the equipment and monitoring they use during surgery, and problems or emergencies that can arise during the process. In addition, a comprehensive weblinks section is provided with hyperlinks to important professional and educational material in the world of anaesthesia. New to the second edition is the inclusion of a number of schematic diagrams that accompany and enhance selected entries within the dictionary. All of the entries have been categorized according to the latest Oxford Taxonomy classification system, allowing for optimal search and reference facilities. These entries expand on and provide links to the coverage of the topic already present in Oxford Reference’s general medical dictionaries. Recently updated to include significant advances in the field of anaesthesia, the second edition of this dictionary provides an authoritative and specialist source of reference and teaching for students and practitioners.

Over 480 entries

Covering every aspect of animal behaviour from adaptation to warning, this accessible A–Z also includes terms from the related fields of ecology, physiology and psychology. Clear and informative entries on topics such as communication, learning, and navigation are backed up by examples and illustrations where appropriate. The new edition adds 80 new entries, expands coverage of behavioural ecology, cognitive ethology, and evolutionary theory, and brings the text up to date with new theories and research.

An essential source of reference for students of biology, psychology, and zoology, and fascinating reading for all those interested in animal behaviour.

Over 300 entries

This new dictionary provides clear definitions of the most important literary terms and devices in classical and modern Arabic literature. It covers technical terms and rhetorical devices, themes and motifs, concepts, historical eras, literary schools and movements, forms and genres, and significant figures and institutions. Defining terms such as ‘root-play’, highlighting schools such as the Mahjar poets, and exploring concepts such as ‘imaginary evocation’, the dictionary introduces students of Arabic and Arabic literature to the specificities of the Arabic literary tradition and equips them with the tools to understand the nuances and complexities of the texts they encounter.

Meet the supreme Gautama Buddha, the elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesa, and Chang O, the Lunar Toad who is Chinese goddess of the Moon. Journey to the sacred Cambodian ruins of Angkor and golden Mount Meru, home of the Hindu gods. Discover myths like the Stone and the Banana and the Churning of the Ocean of Milk, and explore archetypal themes such as the hero quest, sacrifice, and descent to the underworld.

This dictionary features stories of revered deities, sacred places, key events and epics, with many recurring themes and traditions. Entries address the key mythologies of the regions we now call India, China, Tibet, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and Japan, and broad overviews of specific cultures and their mythic traditions round out the coverage.

‘An enormous amount of obscure data is satisfactorily explained here’ Times Literary Supplement

Over 4,300 entries

Compiled with the help of a team of expert contributors under the editorship of renowned author and broadcaster Ian Ridpath, the third edition of this dictionary covers everything from space exploration and the equipment involved to astrophysics, cosmology, and the concept of time. The dictionary also includes biographical entries on eminent astronomers, as well as worldwide coverage of observatories and telescopes. Supplementary material is included in the appendices, such as tables of Apollo lunar landing missions, the constellations, and planetary data, and numerous other tables and diagrams complement the entries.

The entries have been fully revised and updated for this edition, and around ninety new entries have been added to reflect the recent developments within the field of astronomy, including Bennu, Euclid, Mars Orbiter Mission, and slowly pulsating B star.

A Dictionary of Astronomy is an invaluable reference source for students, professionals, amateur astronomers, and space enthusiasts.

Over 150 entries

This new dictionary provides definitions of terms related to the subject of atheism, ranging from those of historic importance, including the history of the term ‘atheist’ itself, to crucial concepts in the contemporary study of atheism and related topics, such as nonreligion and postsecular. Coverage includes secular and humanist organizations, significant events in the history of atheism such as the Scopes Monkey Trial, neologisms by or about atheists including ‘Bright’ and ‘New Atheism’, and parodic religions and deities such as Pastafarianism and the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Atheism is a growing subject of study with a significant scholarly presence emerging online, and many of the new terms covered represent the first authoritative definitions for this subject.

Over 230 entries

A Dictionary of Audiology features authoritative and detailed entries that clearly define and describe essential terms relating to hearing, balance, and related disorders. These entries expand on the audiology coverage present in Oxford Reference’s general medical dictionaries to provide a specialist source of reference for students and practitioners. This second edition adds several illustrations and recommended web links, as well as more than 30 new entries.

Over 5,800 entries

This new eighth edition has been fully revised and updated to reflect recent progress in the fields of biology, biophysics, and biochemistry, with particular expansion to the areas of ecology, cell biology, and plant and animal development. Over 150 new entries include de-extinction, ecological footprint, rewilding, and Zika virus.

Numerous appendices include classifications of the animal and plant kingdoms, SI units, Nobel prizewinners, and a new appendix on anatomical terms. With new diagrams and updated web links, this remains the market-leading dictionary for students of biology, both at sixth form college and university level.

Over 10,000 entries

This new edition fills the need to define the specialist language used within an evolving field by offering clear, concise definitions of even the most complex biomedical terms. It includes entries on all areas of biomedicine, focusing on areas that have developed since the first edition, such as genomics and biomedical science. Entries are authoritative and wide-ranging, covering terms from the related areas of anatomy, genetics, molecular bioscience, pathology, pharmacology, and clinical medicine.

‘The book is packed with interest to the final page’ – The Independent

Over 3,800 entries

Written by over 100 specialist contributors, this dictionary describes the people and events that have shaped and defined domestic, political, social, and cultural life in Britain since 55 BC. New entries to this edition include Diamond Jubilee 2012, Ed Miliband, and United Kingdom Independence Party; and existing entries on David Cameron, Elizabeth II, national debt, and Alex Salmond have been updated.

Derived from the highly acclaimed Oxford Companion to British History, A Dictionary of British History has been a leading historical reference work since its publication in 2001. Now thoroughly revised and fully updated, this invaluable A–Z remains essential for anyone studying British history.

“Another volume for every local historian's bookshelf” - Local Historian

This revised edition of the Dictionary of British Place-Names includes over 17,000 engaging and informative entries, tracing the development of the featured place-names from earliest times to the present day. Included place-names range from the familiar to the obscure, among them 'Beer', 'Findlater', 'Broadbottom', and 'Great Snoring'. The A to Z entries are complemented by a detailed introductory essay discussing the chronology and development of English, Irish, Welsh, and Scottish place-names, as well as an extensive bibliography, maps of Britain showing old and new boundaries, and a glossary of common elements in place-names.

Both accessible and up to date, this dictionary is an ideal companion for anybody travelling around the British Isles, as well as for researchers and students with an interest in toponomy, local history, cartography, and lexicography.

‘will help to demystify terms such as bear hugs, white/grey knights, cash-cows and churning … strongly recommended’ – TES

Over 7,000 entries

This wide-ranging and authoritative dictionary covers all areas of business and management, including marketing, organizational behaviour, business strategy, law, and taxation. Now in its sixth edition, it features recent developments such as social media and peer-to-peer lending, as well as the financial crisis and the subsequent sovereign debt crisis.

Existing entries have been updated, and over two hundred new entries added including bitcoin, Cog’s Ladder, mobile commerce, Six Sigma, social media, theory of institutional deficiencies, and zero-hours contract. There is expanded coverage of financial regulation and corporate social responsibility, including entries such as aw-shucks defence and Financial Conduct Authority.

The new edition of this bestselling dictionary elucidates modern financial and management jargon, defining entries in a clear, concise, and accessible manner. It remains essential for business students, teachers, and professionals, and useful for anyone needing a guide to business terminology.

Over 240 entries

Expanding on Oxford’s coverage of the topic in A Dictionary of Business and Management, this dictionary includes up-to-date coverage of China’s business policy, customs, financial sector, and managerial practices as well as treatment of regulations, laws, and regulatory bodies relating to Chinese business and management. It is fully cross-referenced and includes entries such as the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, guanxi, Tier One City, and decentralization. A useful list of entries by subject has also been included for easy access to definitions relating to a specific topic or module.

China is a key emerging market which has experienced significant economic development over recent decades, making this dictionary an essential resource for students, academics, and professionals engaging with international business, and requiring definitions specific to China.

Over 200 entries

This authoritative dictionary contains entries on all aspects of business and management in India, covering commercial vocabulary in broad terms. Topics such as finance, economics, management, culture, commercial law, and competition terms are covered, as well as key Indian commercial legislation and institutions.

Entries cover the unique business system of India in relation to international trade, foreign direct investment, and offshore sourcing. The dictionary complements other business and management titles, by defining more general terms within an Indian business context.

This is an essential work for students and practitioners of business who require knowledge of business in this emerging market.

Over 250 entries

This innovative dictionary provides authoritative and easy-to-understand A–Z definitions of terms encountered in the area of business and management in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Coverage includes key theoretical perspectives and concepts, events, companies, people, social customs, and sectors which have shaped and are shaping the development and structures of business and management in the region.

All nineteen countries in the World Bank definition of the MENA are covered, comprising Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Israel, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, with entries such as wasta, business–state relationship, Saudi Aramco, qarar, majlis, and the al-Saud family.

This is an invaluable resource for students, academics, and professionals engaging with international business, with a specific interest in the Middle East and North Africa.

Over 650 entries

This accessible new dictionary provides clear and authoritative definitions of terms, approaches, and techniques in the area of business research methods. It covers research philosophies including research design and qualitative and quantitative methods, types of data and data collection techniques, and organizing and reporting research finding. It is an invaluable resource for students, academics, and professionals learning about research methods as part of a business degree, and undertaking research in many fields including sociology, psychology, and marketing.

Over 5,000 entries

Clear and authoritative, this popular dictionary provides an invaluable guide to every aspect of chemistry and its related fields. Its coverage is broad, ranging from physical chemistry to biochemistry, and is informed by the most current research. Eight informative appendices supplement the text, as well as over 200 diagrams, graphs, and tables, to provide a useful visual aid for the more complex definitions.

Now in its eighth edition, the dictionary has been fully revised, making it the most up-to-date reference work of its kind. Areas such as analytical chemistry, environmental chemistry, and organic chemistry have been expanded to reflect recent developments in the field. There are also 176 entirely new entries, including bioethanol, electron ionization, genome, and nanochemistry.

With its comprehensive and reliable content, this dictionary is an essential resource for students and teachers of chemistry at every level.

Over 240 entries

From the Shi jing (Classic of Songs) of the eleventh century bc, to the to the wanglu wenxue (Internet literature) of the twenty-first century, this authoritative dictionary covers key terms relative to the study of Chinese literature, from antiquity to the present day. a–z entries on key literary figures, trends, schools, movements, and literary collections are included, as well as detailed descriptions of traditional literary works, plays, dramas, stories, novels, and other main literary texts.

This dictionary considers the Chinese literary tradition, and its relation to Chinese culture, customs, and court life, including the most up-to-date research materials with new scholarly assessments. Nearly all entries also contain bibliographies, opening another window for interested readers to pursue further study of the subject.

Over 6,500 entries

Previously named A Dictionary of Computing, this bestselling dictionary has been fully revised by a team of computer specialists, making it the most up-to-date and authoritative guide to computing available. Including expanded coverage of multimedia, computer applications, networking, and personal computing, it encompasses all aspects of the subject. Terms are defined in a jargon-free and concise manner, with helpful examples where relevant, and the appendices include useful resources such as generic domain names, file extensions, and the Greek alphabet. This dictionary is suitable for anyone who uses computers, and is as valuable for home and office users as it is indispensable for students of computing.

Over 8,000 entries

This is the most up-to-date dictionary of its kind, covering the key areas of construction and civil engineering.

This new edition has been fully updated to span the subjects of sustainability, new technologies, disaster management, and building software, and provides authoritative and reliable definitions to a wide range of terms. More than 600 new entries have been added to include terms such as asset management, hydraulic failure, sustainable development, and value engineering, providing broad coverage of construction and civil engineering, management techniques and processes, as well as legal aspects such as contracts and procurement. Detailed illustrations complement the text, and a further reading section is included to guide the reader towards suggested materials.

Written by a team of more than 130 experts from around the world, this dictionary is an authoritative resource for engineering students, construction professionals, and surveyors.

‘Concise, current information … highly recommended’ – Choice, the magazine of the American Library Association

Over 2,800 entries

This authoritative dictionary provides informative and analytical entries on the most important people, organizations, events, movements, and ideas that have shaped the world we live in. Covering the period from 1900 to the present day, this fully revised and updated new edition presents a global perspective on recent history, with a wide range of new entries from Tony Abbott, the European migration crisis, and ISIS to Narendra Modi, Hassan Rouhani, and UKIP. All existing entries have been brought up to date. Handy tables include lists of office-holders for countries and organizations and winners of the Nobel Peace Prize.

This comprehensive reference resource will be invaluable to students of history, politics, and international relations as well as to journalists, policymakers, and general readers interested in the modern world.

Over 750 entries

The most authoritative and up-to-date dictionary of critical theory available, covering the Frankfurt school, cultural materialism, cultural studies, gender studies, film studies, literary theory, hermeneutics, historical materialism, Internet studies, and sociopolitical critical theory. It explains complex theoretical discourses, such as Marxism, psychoanalysis, structuralism, deconstruction, and postmodernism clearly and provides biographies of figures who have influenced the discipline, such as Deleuze and Foucault.

This new edition has been updated to extend coverage of diaspora, race, and postcolonial theory, and of queer and sexuality studies, ensuring that it remains invaluable for students of literary and cultural studies and anyone studying a humanities subject requiring a knowledge of theory.

Over 400 entries

This new dictionary provides concise, authoritative definitions for a range of concepts relating to cultural anthropology, as well as important findings and intellectual figures in the field. Entries include adaptation, kinship, scientific racism, and writing culture, providing its readers with a wide-ranging overview of the subject.

This accessibly written and engaging text presents anthropology as a dynamic and lively field of enquiry. Complemented by a global list of anthropological organizations, more than 15 figures and tables to illustrate the entries, and weblinks pointing to useful external sources, this is an essential text for undergraduates studying anthropology, and also serves those studying allied subjects such as politics, economics, geography, sociology, and gender studies.

This dictionary covers thousands of important terms and concepts used in dentistry today. Entries are written in clear and concise English without the use of unnecessary dental or medical jargon, and many entries are supplemented by detailed line drawings or colour photographs.

The dictionary defines terms in a broad range of dental specialist areas. In this edition expanded coverage has been given in particular to topics that include oral surgery, oral medicine, special care dentistry, anaesthesia, restorative dentistry, paediatric dentistry, anatomy, and orthodontics.

An essential guide for dental practitioners and dental students, it is also an invaluable reference source for all members of the dental team, medical practitioners, lawyers involved with members of the dental profession, and the general reader.

Over 200 entries

This new dictionary provides definitions of terms covering disaster research and management. It features practical terms, key concepts in disaster research from a social science perspective, and key organizations involved in disaster management, allowing readers to access definitions on the most important topics within this developing field.

Terms include famine, disaster diplomacy, event-tree analysis, and humanitarian principles. Some are short and concise, while others elaborate on the history and diversity of complex concepts such as resilience or climate change. Illustrations and weblinks offer additional context and resources.

This work focuses on the practical managerial dimension of disaster management and covers terms that a student of disaster management will need to understand. It is an essential reference source for students and professionals in this area.

Over 6,500 entries

Written in a clear, accessible style, this authoritative and wide-ranging dictionary contains entries on all aspects of ecology and related environmental scientific disciplines such as biogeography, genetics, soil science, geomorphology, atmospheric science, and oceanography. Entries cover topics such as plant and animal physiology, animal behaviour, pollution, conservation, habitat management, population, evolution, environmental pollution, climatology, and meteorology. It also includes many line drawings and useful appendices.

Fully revised, updated, and expanded, with over 300 new entries that include beach replenishment, delta method, urban heat island, and zonal soils, this new edition is invaluable to students of ecology, biology, and environmental and conservation studies, and professionals in related areas, as well as the general reader with an interest in the natural world.

Over 3,500 entries

This authoritative and comprehensive dictionary contains clear, concise definitions of key economic terms. Covering all aspects of economics including economic theory and policy, applied microeconomics and macroeconomics, labour economics, public economics and public finance, monetary economics, and environmental economics, this is the essential reference work in this area.

Entries are supplemented by entry-level web links, and useful appendices include a list of institutional acronyms and their affiliated websites, a list of Nobel prize-winners in economics, the Greek alphabet, and a list of relevant websites.

This dictionary is an essential guide for students and teachers of economics, business, and finance, as well as for professional economists and anyone who has to deal with economic data.

Over 1,000 entries

Education is of relevance to everyone but it involves a specialized vocabulary and terminology which may be opaque or unfamiliar to those new to the field. This UK-focused dictionary provides clear and concise definitions for the terms that anyone studying education or working in the field is likely to encounter – from A* to zero tolerance. Coverage includes all sectors of education: pre-school, primary, secondary, further and higher education, special needs, adult and continuing education, and work-based learning. It also includes major legislation, key figures and organizations, and national curriculum and assessment terminology.

The second edition covers the reforms to the schools examinations system and teacher training in England and Wales, and more detailed entries for terms relating to disability and inclusive practice, such as autistic spectrum disorder, attention deficit, and dyslexia, and to professional development, such as mentoring.

Supplementary material includes a timeline of landmark educational legislation since 1945 and a glossary of acronyms. In addition, there is a table of comparative terms used in the US, Canada, Australia, and South Africa. This concise yet authoritative dictionary is essential for all students of education, teachers, and lecturers on development programmes, and it is strongly recommended for governors, classroom assistants, and parents.

Over 5,200 entries

This popular dictionary, formerly published as the Penguin Dictionary of Electronics, has been extensively revised and updated, providing clear, concise, and jargon-free A-Z entries on key terms, theories, and practices in the areas of electronics and electrical science. Topics covered include circuits, power, systems, magnetic devices, control theory, communications, signal processing, and telecommunications, together with coverage of applications areas such as image processing, storage, and electronic materials. The dictionary is enhanced by dozens of equations and nearly 400 diagrams.

A Dictionary of Electronics and Electrical Engineering is the most up-to-date quick reference dictionary available in its field, and is a practical and wide-ranging resource for all students of electronics and of electrical engineering.