What is the best paper-based dictionary? [closed]

I'd like to have a dictionary in paper that won't be very big, at least there should be one tome, and it should be something like thefreedictionary.com but in paper, to use it offline.
Please advise.

For American English, at least, you can't go wrong with either of these:

Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary

American Heritage Collegiate Dictionary

For British English, I recommend:

Concise Oxford English Dictionary

I like the advanced learner's dictionaries. For British English, they are

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Collin's Cobuild Advanced Dictionary

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

Macmillan Dictionary for Advanced Learners

For American English, they are

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's English Dictionary

Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

They may not contain etymologies or as many words as the bigger dictionaries but have definitions and example sentences that are very helpful to both native speakers and advanced learners alike.

I really like the Collins English Dictionary. Also very good (it is particularly well laid out) is the Oxford Dictionary of English. Both of these dictionaries contain much encyclopedic material. The Oxford really doubles as an encyclopedia and its American English counterpart is the New Oxford American Dictionary.