HISTORIC ARTICLE

Feb 1, 1884 CE: First Publication of the Oxford English Dictionary

On February 1, 1884, editors published the first volume of what would become the Oxford English Dictionary.

Grades

5 - 8

Subjects

English Language Arts

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On February 1, 1884, editors published the first volume of what would become the Oxford English Dictionary. The dictionary only covered words from “a” to “ant.” Today, the Oxford English Dictionary (usually shortened to OED) contains more than 750,000 words. The last printed edition was 22,000 pages, spread over 20 volumes that weighed more than 68 kilograms (150 pounds)! Today, the OED is only published electronically.

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Writer

National Geographic Society

Producer

National Geographic Society

other

Last Updated

October 19, 2023

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