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Oxford English Dictionary

The historical English dictionary

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Word of the day

grasshopper

verb
To move (a riverboat) over an obstruction such as a sandbar or through shallow waters with the aid of poles or spars, esp. by raising it at the bow on a pair of spars mounted on either side and then driving it forwards.

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History of English

Here you can find a series of commentaries on the History of English, charting the history of the English language from Old English to the present day.