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Ox­ford Eng­lish Dic­tion­ary

Dic­tion­ary of the Eng­lish lan­guage ex­plain­ing his­tory, mean­ing and us­age. Also known as OED.

Facts

Coverage
500,000 words
3.5 million quotations from across the English-speaking world
Period
Quarterly up­dates
Access
On campus + remote access
Provider
Ox­ford Uni­ver­sity Press

The au­thor­it­at­ive source on the Eng­lish lan­guage

What is Oxford English Dictionary?

OED is a reliable and trusted source providing information on the meaning, history and pronunciation of words across the English-speaking world. It includes variants from, for example, the United Kingdom, the United States and India, and can be used to explore differences in meaning and usage depending on region.

It is useful if you want to develop your English, find synonyms or clarify the meaning or use of a word. Word meanings and usage are supported with quotations.

Detailed descriptions of words

Each entry includes:

  • Factsheet
  • Etymology – including earliest known usage
  • Meaning and use
  • Pronunciation (with audio)
  • Forms (from Old English onwards)
  • Usage frequency
  • Compounds