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Oxford English Dictionary

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any discipline to the meaning, history, and usage of over 500,000 words and phrases across the English-speaking world.</p> <a href="/information/about-the-oed" class="callToAction">Find out more about OED</a> </div> </div> <div class="row featuresRow"> <div class="wrapper"> <div class="feature"> <h2>Understanding entries</h2> <p><p>Glossaries, abbreviations, pronunciation guides, frequency, symbols, and more</p> </p> <a href="/information/understanding-entries/" class="callToAction">Explore resources</a> </div> <div class="feature"> <h2>Personal account</h2> <p><p>Change display settings, save searches and purchase subscriptions</p> </p> <a href="/information/get-help-with-access/individual-account/" class="callToAction">Account features</a> </div> <div class="feature"> <h2>Getting started</h2> <p><p>Videos and guides about how to use the new OED website</p> </p> <a href="/information/using-the-oed/how-to-getting-started-guides/" class="callToAction">Read our guides</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="row wordy"> <div class="wrapper"> <div class="recent"> <h2>Recently added</h2> <ul> <li> <a href="/dictionary/blandification_n">blandification</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/kinning_n">kinning</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/punch-down_n">punch-down</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/trolley-problem_n">trolley problem</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/bierwurst_n">bierwurst</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/cheat-code_n">cheat code</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/nitazene_n">nitazene</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/billboarded_adj">billboarded</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/galia_n">Galia</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/jand_v">jand</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/taid_n">taid</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/flip-flop_v">flip-flop</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/suya_n">suya</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/dauphinoise_adj">dauphinoise</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/cutting-whip_n">cutting whip</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/archicortex_n">archicortex</a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="wotd"> <h2>Word of the day</h2> <h3> <a href="/dictionary/yakker_v">yakker</a> </h3> <div class="wotdPos">verb</div> <div class="wotdDef">Australian. To work hard; to labour strenuously.</div> <!-- <button class="modal-trigger wotdButton solidButton" data-trigger-for="wotdModal" type="button" aria-expanded="false">Sign up for Word of the Day</button> --> </div> <div class="trending"> <h2>Recently updated</h2> <ul> <li> <a href="/dictionary/bland_v2">bland</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/hallful_n">hallful</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/cutlips_n">cutlips</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/flip_n2">flip</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/wound_adj">wound</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/kobo_n">kobo</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/themer_n">themer</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/braised_adj">braised</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/dime_v">dime</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/baresark_n">baresark</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/beery_adj">beery</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/burka_n">burka</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/wizard_v">wizard</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/wounden_adj">wounden</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/ball-pit_n">ball pit</a> </li> <li> <a href="/dictionary/specify_v">specify</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="row rowForEditableContentPanels"> <div class="wrapper"> <div class="editableContentPanels"> <a href="/discover/word-stories" class="contentPanel"> <div class="contentPanelHead"> <img src="https://s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/com.idmgroup.oed100.sounds.prod/wp-content/uploads/Book-books-information-reading-355x160.jpg" alt="A pile of books"></img> </div> <div class="contentPanelBody"> <h2>Word stories</h2> <p>Read our collection of word stories detailing the etymology and semantic development of a wide range of words, including &#8216;dungarees&#8217;, &#8216;codswallop&#8217;, and &#8216;witch&#8217;.</p> </div> </a> <a href="/discover/word-lists" class="contentPanel"> <div class="contentPanelHead"> <img src="https://s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/com.idmgroup.oed100.sounds.prod/wp-content/uploads/Antedatings2-scaled-e1688135294767-355x160.jpg" alt="A wooden tray with letters"></img> </div> <div class="contentPanelBody"> <h2>Word lists</h2> <p>Access our word lists and commentaries on an array of fascinating topics, from film-based coinages to Tex-Mex terms.</p> </div> </a> <a href="/discover/world-englishes" class="contentPanel"> <div class="contentPanelHead"> <img src="https://s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/com.idmgroup.oed100.sounds.prod/wp-content/uploads/jay-wennington-LBLwrhwOe28-unsplash-355x160.jpg" alt="A close up of a globe"></img> </div> <div class="contentPanelBody"> <h2>World Englishes</h2> <p>Explore our World Englishes hub and access our resources on the varieties of English spoken throughout the world by people of diverse cultural backgrounds.</p> </div> </a> <a href="/discover/history-of-english" class="contentPanel"> <div class="contentPanelHead"> <img src="https://s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/com.idmgroup.oed100.sounds.prod/wp-content/uploads/hourglass-e1688127290416-355x160.jpg" alt="An hourglass on a table"></img> </div> <div class="contentPanelBody"> <h2>History of English</h2> <p>Here you can find a series of commentaries on the History of English, charting the history of the English language from Old English to the present day.</p> </div> </a> </div> </div> </div> </main> <!--End of Main--> <footer> <div class="wrapper"> <div class="footerMain"> <div class="footerLinks"> <div> <ul> <li><a href="/information/about-the-oed">About OED</a></li> <li><a href="/thesaurus/start">Historical Thesaurus</a></li> <li><a href="/information/editorial-policy">Editorial policy</a></li> <li><a href="/information/updates">Updates</a></li> <li><a href="/information/institutional-account-management">Institutional account management</a></li> </ul> </div> <div> <ul> <li><a href="/information/using-the-oed">How to use the OED</a></li> <li><a href="/information/purchasing">Purchasing</a></li> <li><a href="/information/get-help-with-access">Help with access</a></li> <li><a href="/discover/world-englishes">World Englishes</a></li> <li><a href="/information/using-the-oed/contributing-to-the-oed">Contribute</a></li> </ul> </div> <div> <ul> <li><a href="/information/about-the-oed/accessibility">Accessibility</a></li> <li><a href="/information/contact-us">Contact us</a></li> <li><a href="/information/using-the-oed/upcoming-events">Upcoming events</a></li> <li><a href="/information/using-the-oed/academic-case-studies">Case studies</a></li> <li><a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/contactus/publicity-uk">Media enquiries</a></li> </ul> </div> <div> <ul> <li><a href="https://global.oup.com/">Oxford University Press</a></li> <li><a href="https://languages.oup.com">Oxford Languages</a></li> <li><a href="https://academic.oup.com/">Oxford Academic</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.oxforddnb.com/">Oxford Dictionary of National Biography</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="footerLogo"> <p> Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. 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