Google chooses Collins COBUILD dictionary

Google launched its new dictionary service this week. Poking around, I randomly came up with the word attribute and tried it out. The defining style was immediately familiar, so I jumped over to the Collins website, and searched for attribute there. The two entries are not identical, but they're close enough as to show this is almost certainly Google's source. Here's Google's entry:

If you attribute something to an event or situation, you think that it was caused by that event or situation. VERB

• Synonym 
  ascribe

• Women tend to attribute their success to external causes such as luck. V n + 'to'

If you attribute a particular quality or feature to someone or something, you think that they have got it. VERB

• Synonym 
  ascribe

• People were beginning to attribute superhuman qualities to him. V n + 'to'

• attribution N-UNCOUNT oft N 'of' n   /'ætrɪbj'uːʃən/
  • There's usually a lot of attribution of evil intent to those who have different views.

If a piece of writing, a work of art, or a remark is attributed to someone, people say that they wrote it, created it, or said it. VERB usu passive

• This, and the remaining frescoes, are not attributed to Giotto. 'be' V-ed + 'to'
• ...a Madonna and Child attributed to Pietro Lorenzetti. V-ed

An attribute is a quality or feature that someone or something has. N-COUNT usu with supp

• Synonym 
  characteristic

• Cruelty is a normal attribute of human behaviour.
• He has every attribute you could want and could play for any team.

Followed by the Collins COBUILD entry:

(FORMAL)If you attribute something to a person, thing, or event, you believethat they cause it or have it. Women tend to attribute their successto luck... People were beginning to attribute superhuman qualitiesto him.verbIf a piece of writing or a remark is attributed to someone, peoplesay that that person created it or said it. ...a play attributed toWilliam Shakespeare.n-count[ˈætrɪbjuːt]An attribute is a quality or feature. Cruelty is a normal attribute ofhuman behaviour.

What do you think? Notice that while the wording differs here and there, and Google has more senses listed, it's strikingly similar. Even some of the examples are the same.

I think it's a great choice. The COBUILD was revolutionary when it came out, and it's still a damn fine dictionary.