The Oxford American Desk Dictionary and Thesaurus

The Oxford Dictionary has always been regarded as one of the finest dictionaries on the planet and is used and trusted by millions of people on a daily basis. Now this important reference tool is available for Pocket PC users thanks to Handmark, the distributor of several fine software products for the Pocket PC. This new program, officially titled The Oxford American Desk Dictionary and Thesaurus for Pocket PC, will quickly become one of those “must have” reference tools for mobile devices.

A great 2-in-1 handheld reference

This software includes two important language tools—a dictionary and a thesaurus. The dictionary displays a complete list of synonyms with the definition of each word; when you tap on one of the synonyms, the program automatically jumps to its definition. The search engine is very quick. Begin entering the first few letters in a word and the program will display a list of possible words (Fig. 1). When you see the word you want in the list, tap on it and the definition will be displayed (Fig. 2).

The software contains 150,000 entries and includes hundreds of new words and meanings (e.g., “cargo pants,” “9/11,” and “weaponize”). The definition screen gives the spelling and pronunciation of the term, divides it into syllables, indicates its part of speech, defines it, and lists synonyms. All of this information is clearly organized by the use of symbols as well as regular, bold, or italic typefaces (Fig. 2). The interface is clean and easy to read, and a single tap of the A-Z button switches you between alphabetical browsing and definition views. The software keeps track of the last 10 word searches and displays them in a drop-down menu at the touch of a button (Fig. 3). There are several pages of online help available, but this software is so simple to use that you probably won’t even require the use of the Help function.

Figs. 1, 2, and 3: Tap on any word in the alphabetical list (top) and the definition will be displayed (middle). The program can also display a drop-down list of the last 10 words you have looked up (bottom).

What about Options?

The Oxford American Desk Dictionary and Thesaurus (DDT) offers three basic color schemes (Parchment, Newsprint, and Regal). These change the color of alternate lines in the list view (Figs. 4 and 5). All of the schemes are viewable, so it’s a personal choice as to which one you prefer.

Figs. 4 and 5: The program can display three different color schemes in the word list view: Parchment (shown in Screens 1 and 3), Newsprint (top), and Regal (bottom).

The program also offers a pronunciation guide, which displays and defines the standard symbols that are used to describe the pronunciation of a word. Finally, the program has a “word of the day” feature that helps you build your vocabulary (Fig. 6). My wife and I do enjoy learning new words and the “word of the day” option is something we will use often.

Fig. 6: The “word of the day” feature can help you build your vocabulary.

A great reference tool