Which do you think is the single best dictionary you'd have on your desk? I've always imagined having ONE that would serve most of my practical needs like reading of newspapers, books and doing writing. My desk is always cluttered with dictionaries, each serving its own purpose because each has different strengths. One would give sharp, concise definitions but may not be always current; another would give very clear, current, nuanced definitions but the long-windedness gets irritating after a while. I just can't stop myself looking up all of them for want of the most accurate definition whenever I chance upon a word (or phrase).
Some choices I can think of:
1) Collins English Dictionary and Thesaurus (2nd ed) -- sharp, concise definitions but not always most current; plus: etymologies and thesaurus
2) The Oxford American College Dictionary -- clear, current, nuanced definitions, but long-winded; plus: ample examples; minus: no etymologies
3) Concise Oxford Dictionary (11th ed) -- a balance between the above two? with etymologies, but a lot less examples than 2).