Step by Step with the Oxford English Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary, or OED for short, is probably the most extensive and complete dictionary of the English language. If you want to know what a word means, its origin, or how its use has changed with time, the OED is the place to go.
- To reach the OED from GALILEO
http://www.galileo.usg.edu,
click on Databases A-Z. This is the gold tab
in the bar near the top of GALILEO's screen.
- Click on O and then click on the OED's link.
- The OED pops up on a separate screen with a big cream colored search box in the middle.
- Type in a word and hit Find Word.
- Sometimes the OED gives you a choice of the same word as more than one
part of speech. The part of speech is a single italic letter written after the word. Usually choosing the most
commonly used part of speech gives the most information. Click on the most commonly used form.
- The word's first definition which is written on a white
background at the top of the screen is usually the most widely used and commonly accepted.
- Quotes, often with old fashioned spellings that appear against a pale grey background,
show how famous writers have used the word over time. The last sentences show
more current usage. The older examples show how the word's use has changed.
- To see other less used or specialized definitions, scroll further down the page.
- Clicking Etymology gives the word's origins and history.
Note: these often include old fashioned spellings and arcane abbreviations. Ask a librarian for help with these.
- To start a new search, just type a word in to
the search box in the top right corner of the screen and click
Find Word.
- To end an OED session, click your browser's Home Icon or close your browser window.