Oxford English Reference Dictionary

Oxford maintains a continuous program of research into changes in the English language, as well as further study of its historical development. Oxford offers the only dictionary range that combines unrivaled scholarship with accessibility for a general readership. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED), like its abridged version, the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, is written on historical principles and traces the development of each word's meaning and form from its first appearance in English. Oxford's other English dictionaries, following the style of the ground-breaking New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998), present words according to their use and frequency in modern English. The Second Edition of the OED is available as a 20-volume print edition and on CD-ROM, and now also online at www.oed.com. Updated quarterly with at least 1,500 new and revised entries, OED Online offers unparalleled access to the 'greatest continuing work of scholarship that this century has produced' (Newsweek). With its wide range of dictionaries both in print and electronic form, Oxford meets all dictionary-user needs.