The source material for the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary is a vast collection of postcard-sized pieces of paper known as the ‘dictionary slips’. They contain a mixture of definitions, etymologies, and illustrative quotations written out by editors, assistants, and volunteer readers during the creation of the first edition, from its inception in 1857 to its completion in 1928. Further slips were created for the subsequent supplements of the Oxford English Dictionary as well as for the 1989 second edition. See here a definition slip for archive and a quotation slip for dictionary.
The slips containing quotations were compiled by volunteer readers, scouring published material and noting interesting word usages with which to showcase the history of each word. These slips were stored in the Dictionary offices until editors were ready to work on that word. Assistants would then select the appropriate quotations and sort the slips into order before editors and senior assistants would compile additional slips for definitions and etymologies. These slips were then numbered and sent to the printers who converted the text into the printed page.
The slips form the largest part of the OED archive: there are over 5 million of them for the first edition alone. Arranged alphabetically, they are the most frequently accessed part of the collection, used by both researchers and current OED staff. Whilst most of the slips are purely handwritten, some include cuttings taken from newspapers and books, and others drawings or sketches. The reverse of many of the slips is also notable as paper shortages led to old documents and ephemera being used for the purpose, sometimes revealing interesting social history.
