The Oxford English Dictionary (20
Volume Set) (Vols 1-20)
Oed Review
The Oxford English Dictionary has long been considered the ultimate
reference work in English lexicography. Compiled by the legendary editor
James Murray and a staff of brilliant philologists and lexicographers (not to
mention one homicidal maniac), the OED began as a a supplement to
existing dictionaries, so that, as one lexicographer put it, every word
should be made to tell its own story. Enthusiastic readers sent Murray
definitions and examples on identical slips of paper in response to a letter
of appeal in 1879. By the time the last volume was published in 1928, the
dictionary had swelled from 4 to 10 volumes containing over 400,000
entries. In the years since, the staff of the OED has continued to keep
pace with our ever-evolving language, and today the dictionary weighs in
at a whopping 20 volumes. The great joy of this dictionary lies in its
extensive cross-references and word etymologies, which can run a full
page or more. These features not only make the OED the most
comprehensive and authoritative dictionary of the English language, but a
delight to browse.
What writers like most about the Oxford English Dictionary

I’m tempted to say that I love the OED because it contains every
word in Middlemarch and To the Lighthouse, minus the unnecessary ones.
I suspect, however, that that’s probably a familiar joke in dictionary
circles.--Michael Cunningham, author of The Hours The Oxford
English Dictionary lets me follow the roots of words into the loamy depths
of language. It lets me feel the abiding, generative life in it, the mysteries
of its persistence and renewal.--Marilynne Robinson, Pulitzer Prize-winning
author of Home The OED is one of my favorite ways of avoiding
writing, which under other circumstances can be tortuous. But not with the
OED. To begin, I look up a word. Then I get interested in its derivation,
which suggests another word, another derivation, another word--Wow!--
Jeanne Marie Laskas, author of The Exact Same Moon
Personal Review: The Oxford English Dictionary (20 Volume
Set) (Vols 1-20)
As many reviewers have stressed out, there are many good dictionary that
one can benefit from. But the OED is the only one that in addition to its
definitions exhaustibly explains etymological information of its words as
well as it shows quotations. The latter is the zenith of this dictionary. I can
spend hours reading those quotations that may date back from the 12
century up to now. One may not find such a rich citation bank in any other
source. So it is a real pleasure to browse through these twenty volumes
and finding so much information.
I study several languages and I'm unaware of a dictionary in any language
that provides such an abundance of information such as the OED. If I had
to choose any book from my library to take with me to a desert island I'd
certainly not hesitate in taking the OED.
In addition to its phenomenon lexicographical content it is an extremely
well-bound dictionary that stands beautifully in my bookshelf. Luckily, I've
purchased from Amazon for a real bargain ($398.00). For this reason, I
suggest those interested in purchasing this multi-volume set to constantly
keep an eye on its price fluctuation from Amazon, as another reviewer has
stressed out.
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