Word stories
As a historical dictionary, the OED shows how words can change and extend their meanings over time. Here we look at the stories behind some everyday words (old and new), along with some tales of word hunting.
- digital, by Richard Holden
- precarious, by Peter Gilliver
- information, by Michael Proffitt
- mammoth, by John Simpson
- nachos anyone?, by Adriana P. Orr
- addiction, knowledgeful, dictionary attack, by Graeme Diamond
- raw-head, bloody bones, and other terrors of the nursery, by Eleanor Maier
- engine, by Richard Holden
- dog, by Bernadette Paton
- rum, by Eleanor Maier
- auto, by Denny Hilton
- go, by Denny Hilton
- road (coming soon)
Aspects of English: as well as word stories, you can also explore the history of English, see how events and people shape the language, and discover some of the different ways in which English is used—now and in the past.