Oxford English Dictionary (20 Volume Set on CD-ROM, incl book)

4.71 out of 5 stars

220 ratings by Goodreads

ISBN 10: 0195216822 ISBN 13: 9780195216820

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2000

This specific ISBN edition is currently not available.

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.
Key features:
* Integrates the material from the original OED and the Supplement into one alphabetical sequence
* Includes over 5,000 new words and meanings
* Completely redesigned and reset to enhance readability
* Replaces James Murray's pronunciation system with the International Phonetic Alphabet
* Treats over a half-million words, illustrating definitions with over 2.4 million quotations
Version 2.0 of The Oxford English Dictionary (Second Edition) on Compact Disc makes it easy to fully explore the resources of the most authoritative dictionary of the English language.
With a brand-new web-browser interface, improved search mechanisms, on-screen help, and screen designs, Version 2.0 of OED2 CD-ROM offers extraordinary access to more tha 500,000 definitions and 2.5 million illustrative quotations tracing the uses of each word through the centuries. The CD-ROM contains the complete text of the 20-volume OED Second Edition.
Find what you need in seconds with powerful, flexible searching--from simple searches by part of speech or quotation to free-text queries of the entire Dictionary and new proximity searching for words near, before, or after an entry.
Whether you're using it for scholarly research, for writing, or purely for enjoyment, Version 2.0 of he OED2 CD-ROM, you'll have instant access to the unparalleled riches of the ultimate authority on the English language.

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Review

Proper words in their proper places--and a good many improper ones, too! If the OED's many obsolete definitions tend to be the most enjoyable--shuff is dialect for "shy," dolt was once upon a time a verb as well, meaning "to befool"--everyday idiosyncrasies still abound. But, for instance, occupies nine columns of text, and who would wish a single line away? There's also the sublime pleasure of trawling through the sea of relevant quotations. The OED's initial team of "voluntary readers" was asked to cite as many phrases as possible for both archaic and ordinary terms. None seems to have found this remotely arduous, and we now reap the ubiquitous ("present or appearing everywhere; omnipresent") rewards. This huge venture is a labor of lore, love, and good humor. One caveat: If you skip over the Historical Introduction, you'll miss learning about the Unregistered Words Committee, and overlook the wry warning, "If there is any truth in the old Greek maxim that a large book is a great evil, English dictionaries have been steadily growing worse ever since their inception...."

About the Author

About the Editors:
J.A. Simpson worked on the Supplement to the Oxford English Dictionary and prepared the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs, which was published in 1982. E.S.C. Weiner also served on the editorial staff of the Supplement and compiled the Oxford Guide to English Usage, which was published in 1983.

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