This work investigates the linguistic barriers between Elizabethan English and the modern reader by providing a comprehensive glossary of Shakespearean vocabulary. Compiled by C.T. Onions, a distinguished editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, the text serves as a scholarly bridge for students and academics. It utilizes historical linguistic analysis to define terms, idioms, and dialectal variations that have shifted in meaning or fallen out of common usage since the seventeenth century.

Experts and scholars consistently identify this text as a foundational reference for the study of Shakespearean drama. Readers frequently note the academic precision and clarity of the definitions, which remain highly relevant for navigating the complexities of early modern English.