The American Heritage College Dictionary (ISBN 0395671612)

Amazon.com Review:
Despite the word "college" in the title, The American Heritage College Dictionary is the best choice for anyone who's looking for a substantive desk dictionary but isn't quite ready to commit to the space an unabridged takes. With more than 200,000 definitions and biographical and geographical notes, along with crisp photos, drawings, and diagrams in every margin, The American Heritage College Dictionary packs a lot into its 1664 pages. Under "lock," for example, you'll find both a diagram explaining how your key fits into and opens one, as well as a photo of boats passing through a river lock in Heidelberg, Germany. The actual definition section for "lock" shows 5 uses as a noun and 14 as a verb, followed by the idioms "lock horns" and "lock, stock, and barrel," and an etymological note that the word comes from the Old English loc, meaning "bolt or bar." As with all of the American Heritage dictionaries, The American Heritage College Dictionary boasts clear typography, clean design, and terrific usage notes based on the opinions of its 173-member usage panel, a group of noted North American writers and scholars, including Daniel Boorstin, June Jordan, Calvin Trillin, and Eudora Welty. These usage notes (for example, "brunette" seldom refers to men, because "-ette" is too closely associated with the feminine gender), along with regional notes (in the Northern U.S., a "bubbler" is a drinking fountain) and word histories, are a valuable addition to the standard definitions and synonyms one would expect from a college dictionary, and they are what make The American Heritage College Dictionary stand out from the crowd. --Rebecca A. Staffel

My favorite dictionary:
After 30 years, my old American Heritage Dictionary fell apart from overuse. I'm a logophile and a writer. I've had to use other dictionaries, but this is definitely my favorite. My Webster is way too big and unwieldy. The AHD fits all my needs.

Nice if you want hard copy:
Nice book. Great book even but don't buy it for the CD. There are plenty of other electronic dictionaries and thesaurii that provide a far easier interface. The opening box comes up in the center of the screen. No apparent methods to have it defaulted for size or placement. The opening screen always defaults to "A" and not your last word. Hence, you lose your ability to start where you left off on writing projects. If you want to follow a train on a similar word in a defintion or thesaurus, you need to type it in. No double click to speed up search. Basically, the CD is not much more useful than the printed version.

Have it handy:
I make my living with words, and the A-H College is the first dictionary I turn to -- head and shoulders above M-W or Webster's. It's a good idea to buy a new one every 10 years or so.

Good dictionary:
I am using it a lot. i installed the Cd in my Pc and my laptop, and it is helping me a lot. I had another good dictionary , but some words are so hard to find that i needed to get a new dictionary soon!!.. This is an investment for somebody who is going to school.I sure recommend it!

As Advertised!:
Great price, speedy delivery! Just as advertised, I received brand-new America College Dictionaries at about half the MSRP with free shipping and in two days USPS. A real pleasure doing business with you.