This page will provide you information on how to use the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). Many of these resources are linked to the campus subscription to the OED, so you may need to log in here for access first:
Oxford English Dictionary (OED)This link opens in a new windowHistorical dictionary of the English language including the development of words from the earliest times to the present including authoritative definitions, detailed information on pronunciation, variant spellings throughout each word's history, extensive treatment of etymology, and details of area of usage and of any regional characteristics (including geographical origins).
Accompanying each definition is a chronologically arranged group of quotations that illustrate the evolution of meaning from the word's first recorded usage and show the contexts in which it can be used.
