COBUILD 30th ANNIVERSARY

Since 1987, Collins COBUILD has been a leading source of authentic English worldwide.

Now celebrating its 30th year, COBUILD continues to provide invaluable and detailed guidance on the English language.

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1st edition, 1987

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2nd edition, 1995

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3rd edition, 2001

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4th edition, 2003

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5th edition, 2006

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6th edition, 2008

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7th edition, 2012

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8th edition, 2014

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NEW – 9th edition

Our COBUILD dictionaries include:

  • Up-to-date coverage of today’s English – based on the constantly updated 4.5-billion-word database of today’s English language, the Collins Corpus
  • Authentic examples – real-life examples of English from the Collins Corpus show how words are used in everyday language
  • Vocabulary-building features – brand-new features on collocation, word history, usage and synonyms to help learners use English with accuracy and confidence
  • New supplements – offer guidance on effective communication in English
  • Full sentence definitions – all words and phrases are covered in depth and explained in full sentences to show words in context
  • Frequency – the most important words are clearly highlighted to indicate which to learn first

Word of the Edition

corpus

corpus is a large collection of written or spoken texts that is used for language research. (1st edition, 1987)

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internet

The internet is the computer network which allows computer users to connect with computers all over the world, and which carries email.
(2nd edition, 1995)

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memory chip

In a computer, the memory chip is the microchip in which information is stored. (3rd edition, 2001)

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e-book

An e-book is a book which is produced for reading on a computer screen. E-book is an abbreviation for ‘electronic book’. (4th edition, 2003)

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bird flu

Bird flu is a virus which can be transmitted from chickens, ducks, and other birds to people. (5th edition, 2006)

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carbon footprint

Your carbon footprint is a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by your activities over a particular period.
(6th edition, 2008)

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cloud computing

Cloud computing is a model of computer use in which services that are available on the Internet are provided to users on a temporary basis.
(7th edition, 2012)

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bromance

bromance is a close but not sexual relationship between two men. (8th edition, 2014)

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alt-right

The alt-right refers to a group of people with extreme right-wing views, including extreme views on race, who use the internet rather than traditional politics to organize and to share opinions.
(9th edition, 2018)

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Our new editions, publishing March!

Collins COBUILD Learner’s Dictionaries provide invaluable guidance on the English language, and are the complete reference tools for learners of English.

ADVANCED LEARNER’S DICTIONARY

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9th Edition

Revised and updated to include invaluable and detailed guidance on the English language, this is the complete reference tool for learners of English.

  • Covers all the words, phrases and idioms that students need to master to speak and write effective English
  • Grammar patterns and example sentences provide extensive help with grammar, plus a new supplement helps with academic and business grammar
  • Ideal for students preparing for Cambridge English, IELTS, TOEIC and TOEFL examinations

INTERMEDIATE LEARNER’S DICTIONARY

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4th Edition

Covers all language features to help intermediate learners gain an even better understanding of how real English works

  • Ideal for intermediate level learners of English, this dictionary is written in simple, natural English making it easy to use and understand
  • Covers all the essential words, phrases and idioms that students at this level need and provides help with grammar and usage
  • Ideal for students preparing for Cambridge English examinations

PRIMARY LEARNER’S DICTIONARY

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3rd Edition

An illustrated dictionary for primary school students, whose first language is not English, but who attend English language schools

  • Over 8,000 entries covering all the essential words and phrases that students need
  • Full coverage of curriculum (CLIL) vocabulary for children studying other subjects through English
  • Engaging 16 page full-colour supplement contains illustrations of key cross-curricular topics, perfect for CLIL

Other Articles

Spanish word of the week: coma

The Spanish word 'coma' can be masculine or feminine depending on meaning. Read More

Spanish word of the week: cometa

In another in our series of blog posts on Spanish nouns whose gender varies according to meaning we look at cometa. You can listen to the pronunciation of cometa in the audio clip below: You’re most likely to see un cometa (masculine) at night, since it… Read More

‘100 Words for Rain’ by Alex Johnson

Rain, rain, go away! Come again another day! British weather, eh! Who would have it? March this year, though rainy and dismal, was not in fact the rainiest March on record. That happened in 1947. But now that spring is springing upon us fast, it’s been a delight to delve,… Read More