The English clergyman and scientist John Harris published the 'Lexicon Technicum: Or, An Universal English Dictionary of Arts and Sciences' in London, England. This was the first alphabetical encyclopedia written entirely in the English language, focusing primarily on mathematics, technology, physics, and navigation. Harris collaborated closely with members of the Royal Society, including Isaac Newton, ensuring that the work served as an authoritative statement of Newtonian science.

By providing clear English definitions for technical and scientific terminology, Harris's encyclopedia helped introduce scientific vocabulary into the English literary lexicon. This enabled 18th-century poets to write natural philosophy poems with high technical precision, using words previously restricted to specialized research.