Former user168676
OALD, 2005 : Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, 2005
SOED: The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 1993
CoGEL: A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language, Quirk et al., 1985
                formerly, due to my ignoring the standard abbreviation: ACGOTEL
                formerly, also CGEL, changed because the Cambridge Grammar
                of the English language is being referred to as CGEL
LPD: Longman Pronunciation Dictionary, JC Wells, 2000
LBU : Le bon usage, Maurice Grevisse et André Goosse, 14ième édition, 2007

SOED stand for "New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary". It is a dictionary in two volumes (about 4 000 pages) that is more or less an abridged form of the OED; it is conceived on historical principles: 'it sets out the main meanings and semantic development of words current at any time between 1700 and the present day' ("the present day" being 1993 for my version, year of edition of my copy). Each meaning is labeled with the period of validity, but the origin of the period is the true date, which can go back as far as Old English (roughly 700 to 1100). In addition, this dictionary provides 'a wide range of scientific and technical words such as might be of interest to serious amateurs or advanced students'. My edition, the fourth, called "The New Shorter Oxford Dictionary On Historical Principles", is 'a replacement for the third edition of the "Shorter Oxford English Dictionary", but not a direct revision of its text'. 'The New SOED editors returned to the Oxford English Dictionary itself (in later stages the second edition of 1989, originally the first edition of 1884-1928 and its four volume Supplement of 1972-86), and reabridged, conflated, revised, restructured, added and updated'.

SOME OTHER FEATURES OF THE SOED
— A rather strict chronological basis for entry structure (follows the OED)
— Pronunciation provided in IPA symbols and representing a style of British RP
— Main senses of the headword illustrated by 83 000 quotations
— Not a specialist's dictionary (coverage of wide regional, social and other differences in spoken English in Britain and throughout the world not provided)
— Coverage of many words and senses from North America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, and elsewhere within the English-speaking world
— Etymological information provided for all entries