Dictionaries Guide

Overview

The following is a list of online dictionaries. There are many English language, foreign language and specialized dictionaries in the Reference section. For advice in choosing and using dictionaries consult one of the reference librarians.

Online Dictionaries

Merriam-Webster Online Includes the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Thesuarus.

Oxford English Dictionary PE 1625 .O86 (Ref)
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is an historical dictionary of English, covering the language from the earliest times to the present day. It provides not only the current meanings of words, but also traces their development through time. Entries contain detailed etymological analysis, and are illustrated by quotations from a wide range of English language sources from around the world, making the OED a unique historical record. Click "Enter OED Online" and start searching.

Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged This online Webster's dictionary covers the current standard written and spoken English from the 1961 edition to subsequent updates and includes 450,000 definitions.

Oxford Language Dictionaries Online Searchable bilingual dictionaries with over 4 million words, phrases and translations in French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, and Chinese, OLDO also features native speaker audio pronunciation, allowing you to hear how words actually sound. OLDO also offers click-through verb tables and pronunciation charts, explanations of grammatical terms, hundreds sample letters, CVs and resumes, notes on life and culture, guidance on grammar and idiomatic usage, extensive links to other sites for further research, and more.

Roget's International Thesaurus Contains 85,000 cross references, includes proverbs and quotations. From the Bartleby Collection.

Google Glossary Explains how to use Google to search for definitions. Good for finding words not in most dictionaries, for slang, technical and other specialized words.

yourDictionary.com A comprehensive dictionary site containing links to dictionaries of over 200 different languages. Includes specialty dictionaries and thesauri, acronyms, etc.

Blogossary A dictionary for blogs describing the community of bloggers or blogosphere.

Hypertext Webster Gateway Searches for words in various online dictionaries.

Historical Dictionaries / Etymology

If you are looking for the most comprehensive historical dictionary of the English language, with often exhaustive word histories of the major words in English that have been used in England, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and other countries where English is a major language consult The Oxford English Dictionary.

Oxford English Dictionary PE 1625 .O86 (Ref)
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is an historical dictionary of English, covering the language from the earliest times to the present day. It provides not only the current meanings of words, but also traces their development through time. Entries contain detailed etymological analysis, and are illustrated by quotations from a wide range of English language sources from around the world, making the OED a unique historical record. Click "Enter OED Online" and start searching.

Online Etymology Dictionary Based on Ernest Weekley's An Etymological Dicationary of Modern English (1921, reprinted 1967 by Dover Publications) and then greatly expanded.

New Words

No dictionary can keep up with all the new words and new meanings for old words that are constantly entering English. Recent editions of classic sources, such as the unabridged third edition of Random House, the Oxford English Dictionary, and the Addenda section at the front of Webster's Third New International Dictionary include many new words.

Blogossary A dictionary for blogs describing the community of bloggers or blogosphere.

Google Glossary Explains how to use Google to search for definitions. Good for finding words not in most dictionaries, for slang, technical and other specialized words.

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Ask A Librarian

Galen E. Rike
galen.rike@wmich.edu
269-387-5181
Last updated: September 2009