I held onto my father’s old dictionary from the 1960’s. Every time I want to check a definition, I check that one. I wish I had an even older one.
Everyone, hold onto your old dictionaries.
And get a copy of the Merriam-Webster SECOND Unabridged, if you can. That was the last one where researchers meticulously scoured works of good literature to determine proper usage. The Third Unabridged, in the early 1960s, was a travesty. American Heritage is the one where the staff actually took a vote on various issues of usage.