TT logo
You are viewing a low-graphics version of this page. Click the headline to view full version:

Which word has longest entry in the OED?

Heard this & was quite intrigued, who else knows?

Toytown Germany > Discussion forum > Themes > Miscellaneous
Rus
I heard this fact last night about the word which has the longest entry in the Oxford English Dictionary.
I was quite suprised when I first heard and then started listing all of the uses of the word I know.
Can anybody guess what it is?
Kay
set (v.)
Keydeck
Google says "Touch"
Jenny L
Oh right- just misread the thread title. Sorry.
Rus
Longest entry not longest word
Keydeck
QUOTE (Jenny L @ Jan 24 2006, 12:34 pm) *
Oh right- just misread the thread title. Sorry.

Still though, pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is a cracking word wink.gif
Pirulero
longest word should be floccinaucinihilipilification...unless they've started indexing medical terms? longest entry...no idea...ok?
boomtown_rat
QUOTE
who else knows?

who else cares? wink.gif
Rus
Maybe nobody cares but its an interesting fact nevertheless
Eleanor Rigby
I can't stand the suspense . . . please, please tell us Rus!
boomtown_rat
what Kay said (set)
Showem
Kay should be right, although I would have not specified just verb use.
Keydeck
QUOTE (boomtown_rat @ Jan 24 2006, 12:38 pm) *
what Kay said (set)

And she appears to be bang on the money.

QUOTE
Longest entry: the verb ‘set’ (60,000 words)

askoxford.com
Rus
Ok
Showem is correct!
The word is set but can be used as a Noun, Verb and and Adjective.
Kay
QUOTE (Rus @ Jan 24 2006, 12:39 pm) *
The word is set but can be used as a Noun, Verb and and Adjective.

I thought the entries in the unabridged OED were separate, but I don't want to quibble.
boomtown_rat
yay Kay!

what's the definition of an 'entry' Rus?
Rus
They are separate but it is the word Set that I was looking for not the specific entry
Pirulero
Set as a VERB is the longest single entry...
You are viewing a low fidelity version of this page. Click to view the full page.