Searching the OED

How to use the quick search

The quick search bar can be found on the OED (Oxford English Dictionary) homepage and at the top of every entry page, and finds main dictionary entries, such as alphabet, break, xylophone. It also finds phrases and compounds listed within main entries, such as to look up or alphabet book, and different forms of spellings such as dictionaries.

Wildcard searches

A wildcard is a symbol which stands for any character. The question mark? represents the occurrence of any one single character, and the asterisk* represents the occurrence of any number of characters (or no character at all). Wildeards are useful if you do not know how to spell a word, or if you want to find several terms beginning with the same root.

How to use the advanced search

An advanced search is a full search of the entire dictionary text which is for readers who have logged in or subscribed to the dictionary. Advanced search can be especially useful for very specific searches. You can use the search area functionality to search by each section of an entry. You can also use filters to narrow your search to match certain criteria.

Browsing by categories

Categories allow you to explore the dictionary through groupings of words in, for instance. a subject or from a particular origin. If you want to find all the Caribbean borrowings in English, or find the first word related to friend to enter the dictionary, this is the function for you.

Further explore your search by using the options that appear on the right-hand side of the results page.

There are some children who love to fly and then there are the kids who are afraid of the unknown. The following tips may help you if you want to travel with your children by plane.

【小题1】 If you tell the child he will soon be flying on an airplane and leave it at that, his imagination can turn to fear. Instead, tell him how wonderful it is to fly. 

Don’t tell children about the dangers of flying.【小题2】 And you can promise him that the plane will not crash. 

Read a book to your children.【小题3】 Reading may also make your children fall asleep. 

Bring a comfort thing that your child enjoys.【小题4】 Be sure to bring that blanket along as it will provide a safety net for the child. Having this blanket along may also help him fall asleep. Bring a safe electronic device that shows movies or supports video games, and offers children puzzles. 

Bring snacks. Children are picky eaters and may not like the food being offered. Three to five hours can be a long time on an airplane without food.【小题5】 When they are upset, it is easier to let the fear of the unknown take control.

Asking for or accepting help can bring up a wide range of complicated emotions, like there’s the fear of being seen as needy or weak. Although accepting help from others is difficult, giving and receiving is a necessary part of life.

【小题1】. For many people, the difficulty in asking for or receiving help is tied to childhood. As psychologist Lisa Firestone points out, these feelings often develop from having our requests go unnoticed at an earlier age.

Sometimes these unnoticed requests are a result of neglect or because parents are too busy to notice. Maybe they were undertaking some jobs to make ends meet or didn’t have additional family support to spare. 【小题2】. When your needs go unnoticed, it can create feelings of shame about asking for or receiving help, while also forming an extreme sense of independence.

How do you get better at accepting help? One way to get better at accepting help is to start with small requests, such as asking for directions. 【小题3】. Practicing this in good environment can ease some of the emotions that can appear suddenly.

【小题4】. If you feel very uncomfortable, wait a few moments to let these feelings calm down before accepting or denying the help.

Helping others feels good. Although asking for help is hard, one way to make it a little easier is to focus on how it feels when you help others. 【小题5】.