Based on a vast database of some 200 million words, The Oxford American Dictionary of Current English offers superb coverage of American English. Its features include: * 180,000 concise definitions and entries * Grammar, Style, and Usage Notes give guidance on correct English * Hundreds of Word Histories provide fascinating background to our language * 225 illustrations, commissioned by Oxford's US Dictionaries Program, add important visual information that complements the definitions * 3,000 biographical and geographical entries * Reference appendices include information on weights and measures, metric conversions, chemical elements, countries of the world, US states and presidents, and much more All Oxford American dictionaries use an easy-to-use respelling system to show how entries are pronounced. It uses simple, familiar markings to represent common American English sounds. Affordable, durable, easy to read, and completely up to date, this is the finest dictionary of its size available.