In 1989, Oxford University Press published the second edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED2) in twenty volumes, comprising 21,728 pages and 291,500 entries. This edition integrated the original dictionary with the supplements published over the previous decades, creating a unified and comprehensive historical record of the English language. The OED2 marked the culmination of over a century of lexicographical work and set a new standard for historical dictionaries.

The OED2 solidified the Oxford English Dictionary's position as the definitive historical record of the English language, providing poets and scholars with an unparalleled resource for tracing the evolution of words and meanings. Its comprehensive coverage has influenced countless poets, from Seamus Heaney to Derek Walcott, who have drawn on its depth to craft their verse. The OED2 also set the stage for the digital transformation of lexicography.