Check with your local library to see if they are members of OED Online.
In the 1970's a two-volume version of the OED appeared.
One of the main features of using the online version at OED is that words and references are updated quicker.
Purchasing a subscription is easy and if you aren't sure about buying one, then take the tour to see if the OED online has the features you need.
Some of OED's words contain two spellings, one for British and one for American English.
The latest version of OED runs 20 volumes plus additional supplements for new words.
The Oxford English Dictionary online, sometimes abbreviated to OED, is a compendium of words in the English language.
The powerful Advanced Search makes it possible to exploit the vast wealth of information in the OED to the full.
To make the OED more concise, the Second Edition of the print version included these supplements as well as new material.
When the OED adds the verb form of ' cargo cult ' to its corpus, remember where you read that first.