Directions for acquiring electronic entries from the American Heritage Dictionary and the Oxford English Dictionary

  1. Open your word processor.
  1. Access the electronic dictionary.
  1. Find a word.
  1. “Select All”
  1. “Copy”
  1. Return to word processor.
  1. “Paste.”
  1. Now compare the two entries using the questions found at http://www.tomsienkewicz.com/Courses/CLAS224/Handouts/DictionaryEntryAnalysis.htm

Monmouth College subscribes to two electronic dictionaries, The American Heritage Dictionary and The Oxford English Dictionary. Both can be accessed from the MC network by going to Start/Programs/Library/Dictionaries and selecting the dictionary you want.

American Heritage Dictionary

  • The first message box will ask about audio and video. Click NO. 

  • The next message box will ask about the word for the day. Click OK.

  • You will now have a screen with several blank boxes. Type the word you  want in the box at the top and hit ENTER.

  • Now use your mouse to SELECT ALL the information in the center box.

  • Copy by using cntl+c or going to Edit/Copy.

  • Enter your word processor.

  • Paste by using cntl+v or going to Edit/Paste.

  • To obtain a pronunciation guide, click on Help, then "Help Topics", then "Index" and type "Pronunciation Guide." Then hit ENTER.

Oxford English Dictionary

  • Type the word you want in the box in the upper right hand corner and hit ENTER.                   ENTER.

  • At this point OED may give you a choice of several words. Choose the one                                  you want and hit ENTER.

  • The word entry will now appear. Click separately on Etymology, Pronunciation,  Quotations    and Time Line so that they turn from blue to red.

  • Now use your mouse to SELECT ALL the information in the center box.

  • Copy by using cntl+c or going to Edit/Copy.

  • Enter your word processor.

  • Type the word you searched.

  • Paste by using cntl+v or going to Edit/Paste.

  • There are two separate pronunciation guides to OED on-line. One for the 2nd edition and one for the new edition. To access then, click on "help" on the opening OED screen. On the OED Online Help page, scroll down on the left to "Key to the pronunciation." Then click the pronunciation guide for the second or new editions.

  • A guide to abbreviations is also available from the OED Help page.

This  material has been published on the web by Prof. Tom Sienkewicz for his students at Monmouth College. If you have any questions, you can contact him at toms@monm.edu.

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