Sorry, but: when is the last time you looked at a dictionary? :-)
Or do you mean the first dictionary ever printed? :-)

hhp

You may find interesting the work of Gilles Le Corre. He has some great antique revival fonts that I hope could fit your needs.

How about the Fell revival fonts by Igino Marini, e.g. IM Fell English Pro.

Guys, how about a font with a large x-height like would actually be used in a dictionary?

I guess what I'm getting at is: how much of this is about authenticity versus merely the perceptions of people who don't read print (or read, period) anymore?

hhp

Samuel Johnson's 1755 dictionary--the granddaddy of all English Dictionaries, if not the first--was printed with a type that resembles Caslon.

thanks guys! really like the work Gilles Le Corre
is there anything out there thats a bit more contemporary?

Cheers
B

How about Collins using custom Fedra Sans and Serif?

https://www.typotheque.com/fonts/in_use/205

click on next page for Serif.