Contains more than 3000 idioms from British and American English with thousands of examples. There is also information on the variations that idioms undergo so that students may identify them and their meaning even when they do not appear in their standard form.
This is an important new dictionary from the innovative COBUILD team. It explains approximately 4400 current British and American English idioms. It gives in-depth treatment of their meanings, contexts of use, and pragmatics, and it includes a rich collection of examples taken from The Bank of English.
The Bank of English provides a wealth of information about the frequencies, forms, and usage of idioms today. Because the COBUILD Dictionary of Idioms is based on this unique resource, the information which it gives about this fascinating area of language is reliable and up to date. This dictionary will be invaluable to all students and teachers of English.
4400 idioms from British and American English
Information about idiom frequencies
Clear layout
Detailed explanations of usage
Coverage of the ways in which idioms vary
Over 8500 'real' examples
Full index, so idioms can be found easily.
The Bank of English is a unique computer database which monitors and records the way in which the English language is actually used in the modern world. It is continually expanding and contains over 300 million words, from contemporary British, American, and international sources: newspapers, magazines, books, TV, radio, and real life conversations – the language as it is written and spoken today.
This new dictionary from the COBUILD team deals with idioms – one of the most intriguing and complex parts of the vocabulary of English. Based on the unrivalled evidence in The Bank of English, the dictionary gives detailed explanations for approximately 4400 idioms which are current in British and American English. Special features include:
• definitions written in full sentences
• over 8500 authentic examples taken from The Bank of English
• information about idiom frequencies in The Bank of English
• unique coverage of idiom variations, and the ways in which people play with idioms
• explanations of the contexts in which idioms are used
• explanations of the connotations of idioms
• full index to help users find idioms.
Since the first dictionary was published in 1987, The COBUILD Series has become internationally recognized as the most authoritative and comprehensive description of modern English. The range of books includes dictionaries, grammars, and books on usage and vocabulary.
The Bank of English is a unique resource in English Language Teaching. It allows detailed study of today’s English, giving new evidence about how the language is actually used. All COBUILD titles are derived from this database, and have a common aim – to help learners with 'real' English.
Other titles include:
'Collins COBUILD English Dictionary'
A major new edition, containing a wealth of information on meaning, usage, and grammar. For the first time, word frequency information is also included.
'Collins COBUILD Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs'
An award-winning dictionary, giving detailed explanations of the meanings, usage, and grammatical behaviour of more than 3000 phrasal verbs. The unique Particles Index deals with the adverbs and prepositions used in phrasal verbs, and shows the common meanings that they have in these combinations.
'Collins COBUILD English Guides'
A range of smaller books on detailed aspects of the language, such as prepositions, confusable words, metaphor, and spelling.
