The Chambers Dictionary (13th Edition): The English dictionary of choice for writers, crossword setters and word lovers

One of the greatest dictionary's you can buy. Large book, hard cover

It's not possible to review a dictionary adequately until you have used it frequently for at least a couple of years, and I have owned this one for no more than a few days. So what can I usefully say? Well, as an Englishman (with a Scottish wife) who has lived in Scotland for nearly sixty years, I have used Chambers English dictionaries since my twenties, and I have treasured them for their comprehensiveness and for their good coverage of Scottish words and expressions. As a cryptic crossword puzzle solver, I have used my Chambers English Dictionary (1988 edition) so much that it is now falling to bits. Hence my recent purchase. So what's different? At 2.34 kg., it's about 25% heavier than my Chambers English Dictionary, the page area is also roughly 25% larger and the dictionary proper has one hundred more pages. A big tome, then. I expect it, therefore, to be more comprehensive and up-to-date than CED and to be rich in "Scottishisms " (as the dust cover calls them - but I can't find that word in the dictionary itself!). As an elderly person and set in my ways, I confess that I prefer the typefaces used in CED, But that's probably a matter of taste. Now for today's cryptic crossword.

I bought this dictionary to help me check or find words when doing cryptic crosswords. It has been most useful.

For general purposes any large single volume dictionary will usually be perfectly adequate, but Chambers has long been the crossword compiler's favourite. Serious solvers of cryptic puzzles therefore have little option but to acquire an up to date copy, because many of the variant spellings and other oddities are not to be found elsewhere other than in the full OED. It was only a production hiccup which led to the omission of a few words which prevented me from buying this edition when it first appeared.In ordinary usage Collins or an Oxford dictionary will serve equally well, but Chambers has some sterling qualities to recommend it besides the crossword-specific: it is compact, pithy and quick to search. This edition is surprisingly slim, owing to lightweight paper which is just opaque enough, and the print is admirably clear. The binding appears to be of the perfect variety, meaning that there is no sewing to keep the book together if the glue fails, and that is a disappointment. To be fair, though, it's well done and the book opens quite flat. Otherwise, nothing to complain of. A fine general purpose dictionary, and essential for crossword solvers.

I'm very into crosswords, and Chambers Dictionary is the preferred reference for these, containing as it does many obscure words, as well as many Scottish words. My bookshelves groan with the weight of every edition from the last 25 years.As such, I was expecting to give a great review to this edition, and rate it with five stars. However, there is a problem.Initial signs were good; the cover has been improved with a fold at the top and bottom to reduce wear and tear; in addition, the "some given names" appendix, omitted from the previous edition, has been reinstated. However, the problem lies with the 500 or so words that were "highlighted in grey" in the previous edition, as being words of special interest. Inexplicably, and apparently due to an editorial error, these have been omitted from the new edition. Whilst this may not affect caudal dictionary users, this is a problem for those who rely on the dictionary for assistance with word games. These words (such as TAGHAIRM) weren't ones that were added specifically to the previous edition; most had been in the dictionary for some years.So yes, it is still a good dictionary; more comprehensive than competitors such as Collins or ODE. However, the omission of the words mentioned above means that this is not as useful for crossword solvers. As such, only a two-star rating here. Let's hope that the list words get reinstated quickly.UPDATE, 18/12/2014. The missing words from the dictionary are now available as a PDF from the Chambers website, which is good news. In addition, a reprint of this edition has been promised for sometime in 2015; this will include the words omitted in the original printing of this edition. As a result, I've increased the star rating from two to four.

I bought this pre-loved copy, described condition as "good", and received it very quickly (thank goodness as my other one was falling apart) and was delighted with its almost pristine condition including dust cover. Great saving for me, thank you.

A gift for my wife and her Mum who play Scrabble a lot. We needed to replace the Chambers 20th Century dictionary we've had since 1988 which eventually fell apart (into about 6 separate bits).Yes it seems like a lot of money for one book, but believe me, this is THE definitive dictionary for those who like to bend the Scrabble rules and look up words before playing them (not that I would EVER condone such behaviour).If you haven't got this already, why?

The best dictionary I've had and its packed with lots of other information including past words and expressions from years ago