The Oxford Encyclopedic English Dictionary features almost 200,000 dictionary entries written in a straightforward, readable style, with the minimum of special symbols and abbreviations. Careful attention has been paid to provide clear explanations of grammar, usage, and word origins. The 15,000 encyclopedic articles remain the fullest to appear in a dictionary of this size. They cover a wide range of subjects with entries on current affairs, influential men and women through the ages and across the globe, science and technology, medicine, history, the arts, philosophy, mythology, sport, and places including countries, cities, rivers, and mountains. There are entries for people in the news such as Shimon Peres, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Bill Gates, and Steven Spielberg; organizations including the African National Congress and the European Parliament; and many other topics such as acid house, chaos theory, and desktop publishing. Further encyclopedic information is given in over 100 pages of appendices, including information on Presidents of the United States, the law making processes of the European Community, Indo European languages, the chemical elements, musical notation, weights and measures, the major skeletal and musculature structure of the human body, astronomy, sports, and many other topics. There is a chronology of world events from the paleolithic age to the collapse of communism and beyond; and a chronology of scientific achievements divided into trends in medical science, the telecommunications revolution, computer technology, and space exploration.As convenient and affordable as it is comprehensive and authoritative, The Oxford English Encyclopedic Dictionary is an essential reference and guide.