As a non-native speaker of English, ever since I took on the task of learning the system of communication called English language, I’ve been struggling to uncover the meanings of words and expressions using dictionaries. At one point, I realized that my struggle did not result from my below average ability to understand, but from the below average ability of people who put together dictionaries.

Take the following definition from Merriam-Webster Dictionary: “shrinking from contact or familiarity <'tis but a kiss I beg, Why art thou coy? — Shakespeare> b: marked by cute, coquettish, or artful playfulness."

Now imagine someone who doesn’t know the word coy opens Merriam-Webster and focuses on that definition. I sympathize with this man or woman who has to not only take in the odd definition (no native speaker says shrinking from contact), but also somehow digest the meaning using Elizabethan Shakespeare.

Compare the above definition with this: “shy or pretending to be shy because you want people to notice you <a coy smile>.” This is my version of a definition I found at Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. With this definition, our learner’s familiarity with the common word shy will not shrink him from contact with the authors of the dictionary. In other words, our learner will learn that a woman who gives a coy smile is being shy or tries to attract someone’s attention by pretending to be shy.

The first definition is abstract and difficult to understand, even for a native speaker of English; the second is easy to understand because it uses a simple, common word as explanation and gives a concrete, clear example. It is common sense that definitions in dictionaries should be clear and concrete, not vague and abstract. You look up a word because you don’t know its meaning, not because you want to learn a more elaborate way to describe it.

Why then Merriam-Webster’s authors described the word coy the way they did? Perhaps they wanted to show off their command of English, and knowledge of Shakespeare. It is more likely though that “the curse of knowledge” prevented them from devising a good definition. “The curse of knowledge,” a term coined by authors Chip & Dan Heath in their bestseller Made to Stick, stands for your special knowledge (of a subject) preventing you from clearly explaining your ideas to someone who knows nothing about this subject. I’m certain that if Merriam-Webster lexicographers read Made to Stick, they’ll come up with a better definition of coy.

LDCE and its American version (Longman Dictionary of American English) I recommend to both second- language learners and native speakers of English.

Clear Definitions

No other dictionary has more clear definitions than LDCE. How did the authors achieve such clarity? They used the 2000 most common words in English language in every definition (the 2000 words are listed at the back of LDCE).

Clear Examples

Besides the clear definitions, the LDCE uses appropriate examples to help the meaning of a word or expression sink in. If, for example, a meaning of a word or expression is more common in spoken English, you’ll see that word or expression used in direct speech, like brag in “I wish she’d stop bragging about how rich her parents are.” Almost all words and all meanings have examples, which is a big advantage if you encounter a meaning for the first time. In contrast, other dictionaries, like Merriam-Webster, often use unclear examples (like the Shakespearean language and coy) to demonstrate a word in context. More often, though, they don’t list any example and you are left with the definition only.

Complete List of Collocations (Words Often Used Together with the Entry Word)

LDCE has a complete list of collocations: words and expressions most often used with the word you’re looking up in the dictionary. Take the entry of the verb buy, where you’ll find the following boldfaced expressions: buy somebody something and buy somethingfor somebody/something, each expression with a good example—let me buy you a drink and the money will be used to buy equipment for the school. http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/buy_1 If you go to the same entry at Merriam-Webster Dictionary online, you won’t find such common expressions. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buy%5B1%5D

List of Most Common (and Most Important) Words of English

The authors of LDCE invented a tool that is very useful for non-native speakers. The tool helps you recognize the most common (and most important) words of English—the 3000 most common words in spoken English and the 3000 most common words in written English. The sign W1 and S1 placed at the beginning of the entry word buy means that the word is among the 1000 most common words in both written and spoken English; the sign W3 means that a word is among the 3000 most common words in written English, and so forth.

Which Version of LDCE to Use

You don’t need to purchase the dictionary because it is available online at http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/, but the only way to take advantage of the pronunciation (in both British and American English) of head words and example sentences is to purchase the dictionary that comes with a CD ROM.