Dictionaries, Thesauruses, and Word Finders
Dictionaries
Dictionaries are the authoritative place to find the spelling, pronunciation, meaning, and usage of words in a given language. Many dictionaries contain additional information, such as tables of weights and measures, forms of address, and special signs and symbols.
Unabridged dictionaries include the most complete study of the language. They include the most complete definitions of the words and trace their development, or etymology, by citing their use during different historical periods. The two unabridged dictionaries featured in the Library include:
The OED is the most authoritative and comprehensive dictionary of the English language. There is a compact edition of the Oxford English Dictionary on a stand in the Library, but usually the easiest way to use the OED is online.
- Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language Unabridged
Webster's Third can be found on dictionary stands near the Help Desk and in the open study area of the Library.
Abridged dictionaries are not as comprehensive, but they still try to include the general and scholarly words in the language. This type of dictionary is most frequently preferred by students. Those in our library include:
- Chambers 21st Century Dictionary (Ref 423 C444 1996)
- Encarta World English Dictionary (Ref 423 E56 1999)
- Merriam-Webster Online
- Random House Webster’s College Dictionary (Ref 423 W384r 1999)
Specialized dictionaries present the vocabulary of a certain profession, or certain segments of the population. Others translate foreign words to English, and English to other languages. An excellent source available on the internet is OneLook. If you click on “Browse dictionaries”, you’ll find lists of the many types of dictionaries that OneLook can search.
Following are just some of the specialized print dictionaries in the Johnnie Mae Berry Library; there are many more. There are also dictionaries you can check out; look for them in BLINK.
Abbreviations Dictionary (Ref 423.1 D467)
Abingdon Dictionary of Living Religions (Ref 291.0321 A149)
Auto Dictionary (Ref 629.203 E26 1993)
Black's Law Dictionary (Ref 340.03 B627 2004)
Business Buzzwords (Ref 650.14 J68)
Cassell’s Foreign Words & Phrases (Ref 422.4 R777 2000)
Condensed Chemical Dictionary (Ref 540.321 C745 1981)
Descriptionary: a Thematic Dictionary (Ref 423.1 M133)
Dictionary of 20th Century World Politics (Ref 909.82 S525)
Dictionary of American Regional English (Ref 423.973 D554)
A Dictionary of Botany (Ref 581.03 L778)
Dictionary of Business (Ref 330.03 C699 2001)
Dictionary of Computer and Internet Words (Ref 004.03 D751 2001)
Dictionary of Cultural Literacy (Ref 973.0321 H699)
Dictionary of Jargon (Ref 427 G796)
A Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory (Ref 803 C964 1998)
Dictionary of Psychology (Ref 150.3 C716 2006)
Dictionary of Symbols (Ref 302.222 L783)
The Facts on File Dictionary of Cultural and Historical Allusions (Ref 031.02 C689 2000)
A Feminist Dictionary (Ref 305.42 K89)
Gerrish's Technical Dictionary (Ref 603 G369)
Henderson's Dictionary of Biological Terms (Ref 574.03 H496 1996)
The Hutchinson Dictionary of World History (Ref 903 H975 1993)
IEEE Standard Dictionary of Electrical and Electronic Terms (Ref 621.303 I22)
The International Dictionary: The Words You Need in 21 Languages (Ref 413 O94 1995)
Master Dictionary of Food and Wine (Ref 641.3003 R894)
Mathematics Dictionary (Ref 510.3 J27)
Mosby's Medical, Nursing, and Allied Health Dictionary (Ref 610.321 M894 2005)
New Dictionary of American Slang (Ref 427.973 C466)
The Nonsexist Word Finder (Ref 423.1 M193 1987)
Random House Webster’s Modern Office Dictionary (Ref 650.03 R194 1999)
Ultimate Visual Dictionary of Science (Ref 503 U47 1998)
Words of Wall Street (Ref 332.603 P475w)
Thesauruses
A thesaurus gives synonyms for words, and guidelines for choosing the best word for the situation.
Roget's International Thesaurus (Ref 423.1 R732i)
