Walker Library: Quick Reference Sources: Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

Encyclopedias & Reference Books

Just starting to research your topic? These databases contain different types of encyclopedias and reference books. These are excellent starting points. Most include formatted citations!

Links to additional specialized encyclopedias and quick reference resources can be found on corresponding Research Subject Guides. Examples: Religion, Art, etc.

World Book Advanced -- College Edition
Main features are encyclopedia articles, primary sources, and E-books. Plus a world atlas and dictionary.
Oxford Reference Online
Oxford Reference Online is a collection of core reference materials across numerous subject areas.
Health & Wellness Resource Center
Medical reference encyclopedias and books; plus links to articles, pamphlets, videos, and credible websites.
SAGE Knowledge
Social Sciences and Business

General & Specialized Dictionaries

Links to additional specialized dictionaries and encyclopedias can be found on corresponding Research Subject Guides. Examples: Religion, Art, etc.

Oxford English Dictionary (OED) This link opens in a new window
Guide to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of more than 600,000 words, past and present, from across the English-speaking world.
As a historical dictionary, the OED focuses not only on the meanings of the word, but also on the history of the word, and how its meaning has changed over time. The OED traces the history of the English language through 3 million quotations, from classic literature and specialist periodicals, to films scripts and cookery books. Updates revise and extend the OED at regular intervals, each time subtly adjusting our image of the English language.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Acronyms, Initialisms and Abbreviations Dictionary

Thesaurus

Additional thesauri in print are listed in the Library Catalog.

Almanacs & Factbooks

Statistical Abstract of the United States This link opens in a new window
User instructions available on ProQuest's LibGuide.

Language Dictionaries

For specific language dictionaries consult the Foreign Languages Guide

About Us

Quick Reference Sources: Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

Encyclopedias & Reference Books

General & Specialized Dictionaries

Thesaurus

Almanacs & Factbooks

Language Dictionaries

New Words & New Definitions