OED

Latest new entries - Help with using OED Online - Oxford English Dictionary: "On 13 December 2007 the alphabetical range purpress-quit shilling was added to the New Edition: every word in this range has been thoroughly revised and updated"

Explore over 2500 new and revised words…

A new update of the Oxford English Dictionary was published on 13 December, bringing 2506 new and revised entries from PURPRESS to QUIT SHILLING. John Simpson discusses the latest batch of new and revised entries in his latest article, including information on the new longest entry in the OED and how the ‘queen’ entry has changed over the last 30 years.

We have also added new words and senses from across the alphabet. Learn the stories behind blankie, puttanesca, Godzone, and QALY from the new words editor Katherine Martin.

Visit the Oxford English Dictionary Online web site for a full list of new words and senses in this update (including all those ‘q’ words which might come in handy for Scrabble over the holiday period).

The latest news from Oxford University Press

We are delighted to announce that the latest update to Oxford Scholarship Online, along with nine NEW subject modules, is now available. December also saw the launch of the new online edition of Who's Who, published by Oxford University Press, to coincide with the release of the 2008 print edition of Who's Who published by A & C Black. Why not contact us for an institutional free trial or a price quotation?

Words

Words: "Beg the question: to assume the truth of a statement, without proof, in subsequent argument. Its Latin name is petitio principii, a logical fallacy. 'When did you stop beating your wife?' begs the question of 'Did you beat your wife?'

Fowler adduces 'Capital punishment is necessary because without it murders would increase.' Some users appear to mean 'to evade the question.' It doesn't mean to 'bring up the question' or to 'demand the question' or to 'suggest the question.'

This ignorant misuse now appears very commonly on television. It has been used by Charlie Rose, as well as the History Detectives, for example, and other good people, and has recently become a habit on PBS."