Library News Last updated 28 July 2023
The Oxford English Dictionary Online Has a New Home!
If you are a regular visitor to our Oxford English Dictionary (OED) online subscription you may have noticed that it has a fresh look having recently migrated to a new platform. Whether you are a regular visitor or new to the OED online continue reading for more information about the new platform and sources of help and support.
What is the Oxford English Dictionary online?
Think of the OED online as a biography of English language words and phrases.
You can use the OED online to discover the meaning, origin, history, and usage of over 500,000 words and phrases dating from the 11th century right through to present day. Plus, it also includes information from the Historical Thesaurus.
How can I access the Oxford English Dictionary online?
You can access the OED online, on and off campus, via links from our A-Z Databases List and BCU Library Search, just sign-in with your BCU email address and password if or when prompted.
What features does the Oxford English Dictionary include?
There are many excellent features of OED online, including:
- Simple search
- Advanced search
- Saved searches
- Word of the day
- Recently added words list
- Recently updated words list
You can run a simple search of OED Online using the search engine displayed on all OED online pages. By default, the simple search feature searches the dictionary but can also be used to search the historical thesaurus and includes auto complete to help with using the correct spelling of words.
Use the advanced search feature if you want to apply various search filters including date and subject to your search.
To save and re-run searches, you can sign-in to the OED online platform with your existing Oxford Academic account or register for a free account.
Finally, from the OED online homepage you can quickly view the word of the day, a recently added words list or a recently updated words list.
How do I view the dictionary entry for a word or phrase?
Click on a word or phrase from your search results to discover its:
- Meaning and use
- Etymology
- Pronunciation (includes a listening feature)
- Forms
- Frequency
- Compounds and derived words
Plus, you can also view a factsheet for an overview of all the above and export a citation for the dictionary entry.
Depending on your preference, use the toggle feature to switch between viewing your dictionary entries in a tabbed display or untabbed/listed display.
If you would like to learn more about using the OED online look at the help pages which includes videos and factsheets.