It is asking between 100 USD to 100 GBP depending on where you reside, for a month of access. It is too much money for an online dictionary. Were it in paper, it would be different.

I'm highly considering purchasing the OED as an investment in literary history and as well to be the cornerstone of my reference library. I'm wondering who owns the set and what you think of it, and whether or not it's worth the investment?

I am writing my BA thesis on the origin of color names and how they have changed over the years (in terms of spelling and pronunciation). In order to do this, I need notes from the OED: Forms, Origin, Etymology and information concerning the meaning as a color name. Some I was able to look up without a subscription (my university or library does not have it; I live in Poland). I would be grateful if users with access to the dictionary would send me information on the following words:

• Purple

• Brown

• Maroon

• Ginger

• Ecru

• Ochre

• Chartreuse

• Emerald

• Teal

• Cyan

• Mauve

• Violet

• Magenta

• Fuchsia

• Rouge

• Tawny

• Umber

• Ivory

• Sable

• Pewter

I know there is a lot of it, but I will be extremely grateful for any answer. Thanks a lot!

I am writing my BA thesis on the origin of color names and how they have changed over the years (in terms of spelling and pronunciation). In order to do this, I need notes from the OED: Forms, Origin, Etymology and information concerning the meaning as a color name. Some I was able to look up without a subscription (my university or library does not have it; I live in Poland). I would be grateful if users with access to the dictionary would send me information on the following words:

• Purple

• Brown

• Maroon

• Ginger

• Ecru

• Ochre

• Chartreuse

• Emerald

• Teal

• Cyan

• Mauve

• Violet

• Magenta

• Fuchsia

• Rouge

• Tawny

• Umber

• Ivory

• Sable

• Pewter

I know there is a lot of it, but I will be extremely grateful for any answer. Thanks a lot!

I am lucky to have an online subscription to the OED. I love being able to research the etymology and definitions of words on the fly, and know I'm getting the best information available. I often use my phone for this, and my only complaint is that it's really difficult to use the OED webpage on the phone, since there's no mobile optimization. I keep hoping they will create an app to make it easier to use, but have only found apps for their other dictionaries.

I suspect that OUP, being part of the University of Oxford, is a pretty hardcore academic institution and not really on-the-ball as far as being up to speed on what their customer base wants. I'm sure it was a huge shock to them when they lowered the online subscription price and made money hand-over-fist. So many international people without British library privileges couldn't swing the ~$300/year price, and when it was temporarily lowered to $100/year for their 100 year anniversary, people subscribed in droves. They extended the price for several years, then eventually made it permanent, much to my delight

Anyhow, is there an app for the FULL OED? If not, why? And does anyone have suggestions about what users can do about it? Any other information is appreciated as well!

As a child I used to love idly flicking through our family dictionaries, we had one which was massive and came in several volumes. I've always found words and especially their roots and how they came into being, fascinating. I've just read the 'Etymologicon' and found it frustratingly light on details and references and would love to see some source material myself. Every day I find myself looking up several words and studying where they came from and how they connect with others.

Ideally, I'll be able to buy a dictionary which covers a huge number of words rather than just the ones on Dictionary.com, Mirriam Webster etc. I'm sure the Oxford English Dictionary app has far fewer words (350k) than the paper dictionaries I saw as a child, which is why I'm asking here.

My ideal book would go into the etymology of each word in a little depth, but perhaps that really means I need two books; I've never looked into how people learn about etymology or where to read about it before!

I'd love these to be physical books and am happy looking for out of print / battered second hand ones if they'll be reasonably priced, though an Android app might be useful if that's not possible.

I'm earning so little I'm classed as in poverty here in the UK and due to health complications that's not going to change soon, but I can always save up if there isn't a second hand version about: this is something I'll want for life so if it takes a few years to be able to afford it, it'll give me something to aim for and I'd prefer to get a brilliant tome to go back to day after day instead of buying a book with half the language forgotten. My health problem is kind of linked to this book hunt as well, as one of the treatments I had has stripped a lot of my vocabulary from me and I find I know far fewer words than I did a few years ago, easily less than half, and I struggle to learn new words so I often look the same ones up every month or two when they crop up again.

Thank you so much for any recommendations, sorry for waffling!

Hello all, I’m looking to pick up an Oxford dictionary but I am a little overwhelmed by choices. Compact, concise, English dictionary, dictionary of English, shorter, etc. What is the best format here? I need something fairly comprehensive, but limited to no more than a two or three volume set. A single book would also be fine. Vintage is also great as I collect older books Without getting my hands on them, it’s hard to distinguish the differences in all these variations. What would be your recommendation? Thanks!

The word is disorder.

I no longer have academic access to the OED and am surprised by how often I wish I could use it!

I live in a small town in a poor county and we understandably don't have access. I know there are free non-resident library cards out there, and I'm wondering if anyone here knows which might have an OED subscription, or if there is another way that I can access it.

Thanks in advance.

Hi everyone,

I recently came across a full 20-volume set of The Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition (1989). All volumes are still in their original shrink wrap — never opened or used. There are a few very small holes in the wrap from long-term storage, but the books themselves are in mint condition.

From what I’ve seen, sets like this vary widely in price (anywhere from the high hundreds to $2k+ depending on condition). I’d love to hear this community’s thoughts on:

• How rare/desirable is a complete, shrink-wrapped set of the OED 2nd edition today?

• Do academic buyers, libraries, or private collectors tend to drive demand?

• Any insights on the best venues/platforms for offering something like this?

Really appreciate any perspectives from those who know the reference/rare book market better than I do!

(I’ll include a few photos in the comments to give a sense of condition.)

Title. And which dictionary do you use daily if you are at c1?

Tldr: the second edition has very small text - what is the usability like? How does it compare to the first edition?

I’m considering purchasing the Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary because I’m interested in looking up etymological history of words from time to time. I’ve never used a book that requires a magnifying glass before. The fact that there are 9 pages shrunken down to one side is a little intimidating. I’m concerned that this fact alone will deter me from actually using the book. Am I overthinking this?

The first edition can be found second hand for a very reasonable price. Although there are fewer words overall, this edition has four pages per side, so the text is actually bigger (despite still requiring a magnifying glass). Is this reason enough to prefer the first edition to the second?

Has anyone here used both? Can you compare the usability of the two?

Thanks.

Hi everyone!

I would like to know what you thinks about the "Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary"?

It is worth to buy this dictionary for kindle?