The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary

First issued in 1933 and repeatedly revised, this two-volume reference work abridges the Oxford English Dictionary into a historical lexicon of English for desk use. Headwords carry pronunciations, parts of speech, dated sense divisions, etymologies, and brief illustrative quotations, covering standard, scientific, and obsolete vocabulary more fully than a concise dictionary but without the parent work's full quotation files. Later editions revise inclusion and dating as the language changes. The book is a lookup dictionary of meaning and history, not a usage guide and not a narrative about English.

Bound in dark blue leather with blue moire silk boards. Gilt blocked titling and decorations on spine. Two-volume blue slipcase with double curved top and bottom.