Middle English Dictionary

The world's largest searchable database of Middle English lexicon and usage for the period 1100-1500. An invaluable resource for lexicographers, language scholars, and all scholars in medieval studies.

Read more about the dictionary

Image: The Ellesmer Manuscript of Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, c. 1400-1405. Shown is the introduction to "The Knight's Tale." Available online at the Huntington Library

How to get started
If you want to do more than just look up a word, learn about Dictionary, Bibliography, and Quotation Searches.
Getting started

More ways to search
You can change the scope of your search through the use of boolean and proximity operators and wildcard characters.
Learn about extended search options

History of the MED
Almost 90 years in the making, the MED will always be a team effort and a work in progress.
Read more about the MED's history