Oxford English Dictionary

The Oxford English Dictionary is a historical dictionary that documents English words, their meanings and pronunciations, and evidence of their use over time.

Historical lexicography: The study and practice of documenting words and their meanings across historical periods. The dictionary’s defining method traces meanings through dated evidence of usage.
Philological Society: A British learned society founded in 1842 to advance the study of language and philology. Its members proposed the new dictionary project that became the OED.
William Chester Minor: An American surgeon and one of the most prolific volunteer contributors to the Oxford English Dictionary. His extensive quotation slips supplied evidence for many entries.
Etymology: The study of the origin and historical development of words. OED entries trace word histories and identify recorded forms and sources.
Oxford Dictionary of English: A single-volume dictionary of contemporary English published by Oxford University Press. It prioritizes current English, unlike the OED’s extensive historical record.
OED quotation evidence: Dated quotations selected by the Oxford English Dictionary to document a word’s use and development. These citations support definitions and show when particular senses are recorded.
Richard Chenevix Trench: An Irish Anglican archbishop and philologist whose 1857 lecture called for a new English dictionary. His proposals helped prompt the Philological Society’s dictionary project.
Fitzedward Hall: An American-born scholar of English and Sanskrit who contributed extensively to the dictionary project. His quotations and philological knowledge supported the editors’ research.
Historical linguistics: The study of how languages change over time. Its dated word evidence can support research on changes in English.
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary: A family of American English dictionaries published by Merriam-Webster. Its dictionaries provide a distinct editorial account of English vocabulary and usage.

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