https://www.oed.com/page/facts/loginpage We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website. By continuing to use our website, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Find out moreJump to Main NavigationJump to Content Oxford English Dictionary | The definitive record of the English language * ABOUT * COMMUNITY * BLOG * Subscribe * Sign in * Take a look * Home > * ABOUT > * History of the OED > * Dictionary facts Dictionary facts First Edition Proposed size: 4 volumes, 6,400 pages (with provision for 'a larger dictionary containing not fewer than 10 volumes, each containing not less than 1,600 pages') Actual size: 10 volumes, 15,490 pages Proposed time to complete: 10 years Actual time to complete: 70 years (from approval date) Publication date: 1884-1928 in 128 fascicles. Published in 10 volumes in 1928 and reissued in 12 volumes in 1933, with addition of one-volume Supplement Price of fascicles: 12 shillings and sixpence for large sections Price of bound volumes (1928): from 50 to 55 guineas for the set, depending on binding Number of pages edited by James Murray: est., 7,200 Number of entries: 252,200 Number of word forms defined and/or illustrated: 414,800 Number of contributors (readers): est. 2,000 Number of quotations submitted by contributors: est. 5 million Number of quotations used in Dictionary: 1,861,200 Number of authors represented in quotations: 2,700 Number of works represented in quotations: Dictionary facts 4,500 * toggleThe OED Supplement (1972-1986) today + Rewriting the Proposed size: one volume, 1,300 pages OED + Recent updates Actual size: 4 volumes, 5,730 pages to the OED + Using the OED Proposed time to complete: 7 years Online + The OED and Actual time to complete: 30 years Oxford Dictionaries Publication date: vol. 1, 1972; vol. 2, * toggleAspects of 1976; vol. 3, 1982; vol. 4, 1986 English + English in use Number of entries: 69,300 + English in time Number of quotations: est. 527,000 + Shapers of English Second Edition (1989) + Word stories * toggleHistorical Proposed size: 20 volumes Thesaurus of the OED Actual size: 20 volumes, 21,730 pages + What is the Historical Publication date: 1989 Thesaurus of the OED Weight of text: 62.6 kilos or 137.72 lbs. + How to use the Historical Amount of ink used to print complete run: Thesaurus 2,830 kilos or 6,243 lbs. + Men, women, and children Number of words in entire text: 59 million in the Historical Number of printed characters: 350 million Thesaurus: a case study Number of different typographical characters * toggleHistory of used in text: approx.: 750 (660 special plus the OED approx. 90 on regular keyboard) + Dictionary facts Equivalent person years used to 'key in' + Dictionary text to convert to machine-readable form: milestones 120 + Dictionary editors Equivalent person years to proof-read text: + Contributors 60 + OED editions + Reading Number of megabytes of electronic storage Programme required for text: 540 + Newsletter archive Number of entries: 291,500 + Archived documents Number of main entries: 231,100 * toggleFor students and teachers Number of main entries for obsolete words: + Key stage 3 47,100 + Key stage 4 + A-level Number of main entries for spurious words: + Learning links 240 + Quizzes + Balderdash and Number of main entries for non-naturalized Piffle words: 12,200 * toggleFor librarians Longest entry in Dictionary: the verb 'set' + Please wait a with over 430 senses consisting of moment while approximately 60,000 words or 326,000 we redirect characters you to our new site Number of cross-reference entries: 60,400 + Link to OED Online Number of cross-references within entries: + Reviews of the 580,600 OED Online * Frequently asked Number of word forms defined and/or questions illustrated: 615,100 * The OED in print and on CD-rom Number of pronunciations: 139,900 Number of etymologies: 219,800 Number of quotations: 2,436,600 Most frequently quoted work (in various full and partial version, and translations): Bible (est. 25,000 quotations) Most frequently quoted single author: Shakespeare (approx. 33,300 quotations) Most frequently quoted single work of Shakespeare: Hamlet (almost 1,600 quotations) Percentage of quotations by centuries: 20th century 20 per cent 19th century 31 18th century 11 17th century 16 16th century 10 15th century 4.5 14th century 3.5 13th century 1 1st to 12th centuries 1 Undated (see note) 0.5 Note: 'Undated' includes approximately 1,250 quotations from Beowulf, with the balance consisting of proverbs, nursery rhymes, 'made up' illustrations, and references to the appearance of word forms 'in mod. Dicts.' OED Additions Series (1993, 1997) Volume 1 (1993) Number of entries (new senses added): 3152 Number of pages: 334 Volume 2 (1993) Number of entries (new senses added): 3335 Number of pages: 336 Volume 3 (1997) Number of entries (new senses added): 3319 Number of pages: 352 All the above figures should be regarded as approximate. Oxford University Press Copyright (c) 2022 Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. | * Cookie Policy * Privacy Policy * Legal Notice * Accessibility * Subscriber account Username[ ] Password[ ] [Sign In] Forgot password? Don't have an account? Help Close Library account Library card number[ ] [Sign in] Does my library subscribe? Sign in via your institution Sign in