Guide to OED entries

Table of contents

1. Overview
2. Main entries
   1. Headword section
      Features of the headword section
      1. status symbol
      2. headword
      3. pronunciation
      4. part of speech
      5. homonym number
      6. label
      7. variant forms
      8. etymology and etymological note
   2. Sense section
      Features of the sense section
      1. status symbol
      2. sense number
      3. label
      4. definition and definition note
      5. quotation paragraph
         1. date of publication
         2. author
         3. title
         4. text of quotation
      6. compounds
      7. derivatives
   3. Special types of main entries
      1. letters of the alphabet
      2. initialisms, acronyms, abbreviations
      3. affixes and combining forms
      4. proper names
      5. erroneous, spurious, or ghost words
      6. lengthy entries
3. Cross-reference entries