The "Oxford English Dictionary" is one of the most famous dictionaries in history. Published by Oxford University Press, the dictionary is an important resource for researchers and students; but there's also a great deal of history, and interesting trivia, associated with the collection of words. Read more about the history of the "Oxford English Dictionary," and then browse through some of the helpful resources from Oxford University Press.
1. The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary
by Simon Winchester. Oxford University Press. From the publisher: "'The Meaning of Everything' is a scintillating account of the creation of the greatest monument ever erected to a living language. Simon Winchester's supple, vigorous prose illuminates this dauntingly ambitious project -- a seventy-year odyssey to create the grandfather of all word-books, the world's unrivaled uber-dictionary."
2. The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the OED
by Simon Winchester. HarperCollins. From the publisher: "The creation of the Oxford English Dictionary began in 1857, took seventy years to complete, drew from tens of thousands of brilliant minds, and organized the sprawling language into 414,825 precise definitions."3. Oxford English Dictionary (20 Volume Set)
by Edmund S. Weiner (Editor), J. A. Simpson (Editor). Oxford University Press. From the publisher: "The ultimate authority on the usage and meaning of English words and phrases, unparalleled in its accuracy and comprehensiveness, the Oxford English Dictionary is the supreme reference work for anyone who loves the language."4. Guide to the Oxford English Dictionary
by Donna L. Berg. Oxford University Press. From the publisher: "Without doubt 'The Oxford English Dictionary' is 'the greatest dictionary any language.' Compiled in consultation with the Dictionary's editors, this helpful guide is an invaluable partner to the 'OED.'"5. The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology
by Charles T. Onions (Editor). Oxford University Press. From the publisher: "'The Oxford Dictionary' of English Etymology is the most comprehensive etymological dictionary of the English language ever published. It is based on the original edition of 'The Oxford English Dictionary' but much augmented by further research on the etymology of English and other languages."6. The Oxford University Press: An Informal History
by Peter H. Sutcliffe. Oxford University Press. From the publisher: "Oxford University Press is one of the oldest and best-known publishing houses in the world. This history, originally published to mark 500 years of printing in Oxford, traces the transformation of the Press from a lucrative Bible house into a great national and international publishing business."7. Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar
by Sylvia Chalker and E.S.C. Weiner. Oxford University Press. From the publisher: "The description of English Grammar has changed a great deal during the twentieth century: it is a subject about which debate rages and where uncertainties abound. The Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar offers the general reader, the student, and the language professional, straightforward, immediate A-Z access to 1,000 grammatical terms and their meanings, across the whole subject."8. Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
by Elizabeth Knowles (Editor). Oxford University Press. From the publisher: "For over 50 years, Oxford's Dictionary Department has been collecting, sourcing, researching, and authenticating quotations on an international scale. In doing so, it has created one of the richest language resources in use anywhere in the world today, and has developed the most through and reliable editorial procedures."9. Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary: Of Current English
by A. S. Hornby (Editor), Sally Wehmeier (Editor). Oxford University Press. This "three-in-one" dictionary offers "everything you need to succeed in English," with 800,000 references, 4,500 new words, 4,200 synonyms and opposites, 1,700 words illustrated, and more.10. Oxford Classical Dictionary
Simon Hornblower (Editor), Antony Spawforth (Editor). Oxford University Press. From the publisher: "This revised edition has numerous corrections and updates throughout. It provides both scholars and non-specialists with a comprehensive source of reference including treatments of broad thematic subjects relevant to the modern reader... It contains over 6,200 entries written by the very best of classical scholars from all over the globe... Most entries give references to ancient sources..."