The Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms unlocks the meaning of thousands of idiomatic phrases used in contemporary American English. The paperback edition explains more than 5,000 idioms commonly used in spoken and written American English. Clear definitions are written using the 2,000-word Cambridge American Defining Vocabulary. This dictionary features full-sentence examples showing how idioms are really used, usage and origin notes that expand on the definitions, and ample cross-references. There is also a topic index that assists learners in finding idioms related to health, money, feelings, truth, and many other subjects. It is ideal for classroom use or for personal reference. Based on the Cambridge International Corpus, a database that includes more than 200 million words of current written and spoken American, the Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms is the last word on American idioms.