February 1, 1884: The first portion, or fascicle, of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), considered the most comprehensive and accurate dictionary of the English language, was published. Today, the OED
is the definitive authority on the meaning, pronunciation and history
of over half a million English words, past and present.

James Murray, first editor of the OED.

February 1, 1884: The first portion, or fascicle, of the Oxford
English Dictionary (OED), considered the most comprehensive
and accurate dictionary of the English language, was published.

Today, the OED is the definitive authority on the meaning,
pronunciation and history
of over half a million English words, past and present.