Historical thesaurus
What do bill, gnomon, and bowsprit have in common? When was dinner first used, and what did people say before?
The Historical Thesaurus is a way to explore the words used for a particular concept or meaning over time. It groups senses and words in the OED according to their subject, and orders them by date of first use. Read more about the Historical Thesaurus here.
Read our guide or watch our video to find out how to search the Historical Thesaurus.
Articles on the Historical Thesaurus
- What is the Historical Thesaurus of the OED? by Christian Kay, professor emeritus of Glasgow University, and editor of the thesaurus
- How to use the Historical Thesaurus of the OED by Christian Kay and Marc Alexander
- Men, women, and children in the Historical Thesaurus: a case study by Marc Alexander and Kate Wild
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