The Oxford English Dictionary

Word Cup's Dictionary Authority and eSpindle's Dictionary of Choice

There are many dictionaries in the world, but only one that is the undisputed
No. 1 - the Oxford English Dictionary, also called the OED by its admirers.

To be correct, the OED can not even be compared to other dictionaries; its ambition and achievements place it far beyond all other dictionaries to date.

Click here to subscribe to the OED online.

Click here for a short, highly
informative pdf brochure about the OED

... or take a detailed online tour
by clicking here.

Why is the OED so special?

The goal of the OED is not only to document the English Language as it grows and changes, adding at least 2,500 new and revised entries every quarter to
its authoritative list of definitions of over 500,000 words.

While many think the Oxford English Dictionary is a resource focusing on
British English, it is actually committed to documenting the variations and nuances across the English-speaking world.

In addition, the OED documents the history of English words, providing quotes and time lines documenting how their meaning has evolved over time.

By any standard, the OED is the most authoritative resource when it comes to English words, and we are grateful for Oxford University Press' support of the Word Cup.

In addition to contributing online OED subscriptions to the event (valued at $17,940), the OED is also Word Cup's final dictionary authority.
While the quiz definitions (or more precisely: "hints") and sample sentences were chosen by the eSpindle editors for briefness and simplicity, the OED is our guiding light as far as spelling variants are concerned.

The right fit

eSpindle Learning is delighted that Oxford University Press has agreed
to support the Word Cup.
After all - who else could be a more appropriate partner for our global competition?

The OED, like no other resource, can ensure that everyone, no matter where they live, can expect that the English conventions they are accustomed to are honored.

"There is no longer one English –
there are many Englishes.
Words are flooding into the language from all corners of the world.
Only a dictionary the size of the OED can adequately capture the true richness of the English language throughout its history, and the developments in world English."

– John Simpson, Chief Editor, OED

A little history of the OED

The OED was not originally started by Oxford University Press, but by a few philologists who in 1858 came to the conclusion that all current dictionary solutions were insufficient, and that there "should be" a more comprehensive solution.

The OED was born from enthusiasm, and made possible by a sheer army of volunteers pitching in on this monumental project - just like eSpindle, by the way, which started when a few parents discovered the mysterious power of the two little words "should be."

For a captivating description of the OED's early struggles and triumphs, we recommend The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary (Simon Winchester), also available as an audio book at audible.com.

It takes courage and foolhardiness to set out to accomplish a monumental project with little more than a vision and some pocket change, especially if common economical reasoning speaks against it.
What is so admirable about the OED - then and now - is its constant quest to provide what "should be," by generously ignoring any limitations that previous dictionaries may have retreated to for the sake of keeping the task manageable.

As a matter of fact, the project underwent some challenging years before the right team, the right procedure and the right publisher were found.

In 1879, a full 21 years after its initial start, the OED found a publisher in Oxford University Press, and - even more importantly at the time - a sponsor, who hired James Murray, commonly considered the first editor of the OED.

Work proceeded rapidly, but using only ink and paper, the task was truly tremendous, and neither James Murray nor Henry Bradley, the following editor, lived to see the publication of the first edition in 1928.

Through persistence and exuberance for the task the OED survived a development span that lasted over five decades, and finally succeeded in proving the nay-Sayers wrong - and giving the world a language resource like no other.

The second edition was published in 1989, a proud 20 volumes, and on March 14, 2000 - just in time for the new millennium - the OED went online, using the Internet platform to combine ongoing updates and a user-friendly format with worldwide accessibility.