Reference Stuff
Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, Thesauri, Maps
Merriam-Webster OnLine - A free, searchable on-line dictionary and thesaurus, word games, a word of the day, and many other English language and vocabulary reference tools and resources.
Encyclopedia.com from Electric Library - Free resource offers more than 50,000 concise articles.
Roget's Interactive Thesaurus - Roget's Thesaurus of English words and phrases.
Atlapedia Online - Contains full color physical and political maps as well as key facts and statistics on countries of the world.
OneLook Dictionaries - Look up a word or term in an Internet dictionary or glossary. Free search access to a frequently updated database of words, terms, names, and acronyms.
AllDictionaries.com - Categorized index of language and subject dictionaries.
AllWords.com - Features two modern English dictionaries, multilingual search, and translation. Also features a guide to language sites on the web and a language discussion forum.
The Alternative Dictionaries - Includes a list of slang terms and phrases in various languages.
A-Z-Dictionaries - Descriptions and links to free online dictionaries, the Merriam-Webster dictionary, electronic dictionary products, dictionary downloads and software and ideas for saving money.
Bin's On-Line Dictionary - Search various on-line dictionaries.
Cambridge International Dictionaries - Free online dictionary from Cambridge University Press.
Campus Program: Language Dictionaries - A compilation of a large number of dictionary websites grouped by language.
The Century Dictionary Online - Free 500,000 word dictionary of English with an encyclopedia and world atlas. Uses DjVu and JPEG formats to display page images. Has headword lookup and full text search of 22 million words of underlying text.
Collection of Web-Dictionaries - Sorted list of online dictionaries of more than 50 languages, mostly bilingual.
Cooldictionary.com - Free edition of a complete Webster dictionary. Fully crosslinked.
Cynic's Dictionary - Irreverent and amusing definitions.
DICT Development Group - A WWW interface to several freely available on-line dictionaries, including Webster's 1913, the Jargon File, the US Gazetteer, and Easton's Bible Dictionary.
Dictionaries and Translation - List of links to dictionaries on the Internet.
Dictionaries, Lexica and Lexical Resources - Collection of links to various online dictionaries and other lexical references.
Dictionaries on the Web - Link collection -- over 100 links to various dictionaries of about 40 languages.
1000Dictionaries.com - Links to online language dictionaries and subject dictionaries.
Dictionary Building Software for Reporters - Software program for realtime reporters and captioners that lists many diverse vocabulary lists.
Dictionary Link - A directory of free online language resources such as dictionaries, thesauruses, language translators, and encyclopedias.
Dictionary of Comprehension - A Dictionary of Comprehension in different languages.
Dictionary of Difficult Words - Search or browse this dictionary of more than 13,000 words.
Dictionary Society of North America - An international organization of librarians, booksellers, translators, linguists, publishers, writers, journalists, and collectors. Founded in 1975 to further research in dictionary making, study, collection, and use. Member of the American Council of Learned Societies.
Dictionary.com - Free online dictionary search, translator, word of the day, crossword puzzles and word games, and vocabulary learning resources for many languages.
Dictsearch - Search a variety of dictionaries including monolingual, bilingual, and specialty dictionaries.
Digital Media Knowledge Base - Free service including dictionary search and tutorials on web development tools.
eLook Dictionary - Provides definitions, synonyms, and related words.
Eurodicautom - The European Commission's multilingual term bank. Particularly rich in technical and specialized terminology related to European Union policy.
EZresearch.com - Provides a directory of dictionaries.
Free Dictionary and Free Translation - Collection of free dictionaries and translation sites. Supports searching all dictionaries with just one mouse click.
Globalization.com: On-line Dictionaries and Glossaries for Translators - Directory of monolingual, bilingual, and multilingual dictionaries and glossaries, arranged by language.
Glossaries - Collection of more than 2400 links to glossaries and dictionaries.
Glossaries by Language - Directory of multilingual dictionaries and dictionaries on specific subjects, alphabetized by language.
The Glossarist - Searchable directory of glossaries and topical dictionaries containing terms and definitions on hundreds of subjects.
High Definition Dictionary - Mixed collection of drug terminology with an apparently arbitrarily selected mix of other, unrelated terms. Dictionary accepts contributions of new terms.
HyperDictionary.com - Includes a thesaurus and searchable dictionaries for English, computers, dreams and medicine.
Hypertext Webster Gateway - WWW interface to multiple English dictionaries.
Information Please Dictionary - Infoplease's free online dictionary. Features almanacs, an encyclopedia, and an atlas.
KnowPlay? - Simple and integrated access to dictionaries, thesauri, encylopedias, and quotation databases.
Lexicate Online Dictionary - Text-only online dictionary directory of language (e.g. English, French and Spanish) and subject (e.g. Science, Computer and Medical) dictionaries.
Lexicool - Searchable directory of bilingual and multilingual dictionaries.
Lighting Design Terminology - Explanations of terms used in architectural lighting and lighting simulation.
The Newbury House Online Dictionary - Search over 40,000 entries to get clear concise definitions and when available related pictures.
On-Line Dictionaries - Online specialty dictionaries for English, Russian, German, Finnish and Latin.
Online Dictionaries, Translators and References - Online dictionaries, translators, references accessable from a small pop-window. Requires use of a browser with Javascript enabled.
The Online Dictionary List - A large directory of online dictionaries, both in English and bilingual, including specialist dictionaries.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary - Allows users to search, free of charge, for entries in the latest (year 2000) edition of the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
Planet Translation - Directory of dictionaries, including unilingual, multilingual, and topical resources.
Quotations: The Yale Dictionary - Project to create an searchable online database and a quotation dictionary from Yale University Press.
Research-It - Includes several dictionaries and a thesaurus as well as online tools for shipping and mailing, currency exchange, and language translation.
Searchbug - A collection of reference tools.
Skeptic's Dictionary - Skeptical definitions and essays on occult, paranormal, supernatural and pseudoscientific ideas and practices with references to the best skeptical literature.
Strange Dictionaries - Free online versions of the Dictionary of One-Letter Words, the Dictionary of All-Vowel Words, the Dictionary of All-Consonant Words, and other strange dictionary resources.
The Superhero Dictionary - Each entry compares a superhero's name with its real life meaning and includes comparison pictures and pronunciations.
Terminological Information System - A simplified version of the European Union terminological database.
Voycabulary - Online dictionary and thesaurus web linking lookup reference tool.
Word Assault - Looks up multiple words simultaneously using several databases including Webster's, Easton's, Wordnet, and the Devil's Dictionary.
Word Central - Student dictionary and rhyming dictionary online at Merriam-Webster's website. Daily Buzzword by subscription.
Word Spy - Site dedicated to recently coined words and existing words revived into modern usage.
WordWeb - A free English thesaurus and dictionary for Windows.
Worthless Word for the Day - Obscure, abstruse and/or recondite word, especially one not falling into medical terms, foreign monetary units, foreign units of measure, legal terms, or professional jargon of any type.
Xlation.com Glossary Database - More than 1682 separate glossaries, linked by topic and by ISO 639-2 language codes.
yourDictionary.com - Comprehensive index of on-line dictionaries in more than 200 different languages. Includes an index of on-line grammars, word of the day by email, and several pages of linguistic fun.
Encyclopedia.com from Electric Library - Free resource offers more than 50,000 concise articles.
Bartleby.com - Online publication of the Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition.
Encyberpedia - Electronic encyclopedia with its own content as well as over 10,000 links to the best reference sites on the Internet.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1911 Edition - Browsable full text of the 11th edition.
Encyclopaedia Britannica Online - Provides complete text of Encyclopaedia Britannica with search capabilities, related links, and multimedia enhancements. Free trial.
1911 Encyclopedia Britannica - Offers the 11th Edition Encyclopedia Britannica which is now in the public domain. All articles are searchable and alphabetized.
Encyclopedia FunTrivia - Thousands of categorized entries of trivia - an invaluable resource for answer seekers.
Encyclopedia Smithsonian - Links to on-line Smithsonian resources and answers to frequently asked questions from A to Z.
EncycloZine - Portal/concise encyclopedia offers fun activities for learning and exercising the mind. Daily articles introduce new topics in the arts, humanities, science, and technology, and provide links to related sites.
Free Internet Encyclopedia - An encyclopedia composed of information available on the Internet. MacroReference contains references to large areas of knowledge, FAQs where available, and pointers to relevant areas of the MicroReference. MicroReference contains short bits of information and references to specific subjects.
HighBeam Library Research - Possible to conduct research using a database of reliable sources.
How Stuff Works - Articles explain how hundreds of things work, from elements of the human body to space-age technology.
Informationsphere.com - Free online encyclopedia that allows users to submit their own articles for inclusion in its database.
The Probert Encyclopaedia - Reference source with several hypertext linked entries covering a broad variety of subjects.
Wikinfo - User edited encyclopedia based on Wiki software. Contains articles, information on editing, and a list of differences between this encyclopedia and Wikipedia.
Wikipedia - A free encyclopedia built collaboratively using Wiki software. (GNU Free Documentation License).
World Book Encyclopedia - Online version of the complete reference work along with dictionary, atlas, links, magazines, historical documents, audio, video, images, and 3D photographs. Requires free temporary registration with option to buy continued access.
World Book Encyclopedia - Publisher site promoting sales of bound copies and offering link to online version.
Atlapedia Online - Contains full color physical and political maps as well as key facts and statistics on countries of the world.
Atlas of the Biosphere - A collection of maps, schematics, and information about human-environment interactions, directed at the education community.
CIA World Factbook - Reference Maps - Various maps of the world in both jpeg and pdf format that are updated annually.
Cornell's Digital Earth - Use this interactive atlas to create maps displaying land, oceans, borders, roads, lakes, rivers, roads, railroads, faults, mines, seismic, and other geological, geographical, and geophysical data.
Google Maps - Provides directions and interactive maps of the United States. Can also search by keyword such as type of business.
Great Circle Mapper - Shows great circle path between specified points on the globe with an aviation focus.
MapQuest - Find directions for and explore towns and cities worldwide. Display addresses on a map, view nearby businesses, get driving directions and maps, and plan a trip with city information. Also includes aerial photographs of selected areas.
Maps of World - Online maps showing countries of the world and continents. Too wide for smaller monitors.
Multimap - Global mapping service including street maps of Europe, North America and Australia.
Rand McNally - Online maps, driving directions, and travel store.
Readmap Project - Online maps collection with political and economical overview of each country.
TerraFly - Searchable aerial views of cities and towns in the United States.
TerraServer - View maps and aerial photos of various parts of the Earth.
United Nations: Cartographic Section - General country and special issues maps.
American Society of Indexers - Thesauri Online - Annotated directory.
Bartleby.com: Reference - Includes "Roget's International Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases" and Houghton-Mifflin's "Roget's II: The New Thesaurus," third edition.
Germ - Searchable WordNet and Roget's Thesaurus with meaning trees.
HASSET - Provides direct term search followed by hierarchical and other types of browsing. Based on a UNESCO thesaurus.
Historical Thesaurus of English - Contains the vocabulary of English from the earliest written records to the present, with known recorded dates of usage, taken from the Oxford English Dictionary.
INGRID Library Thesaurus - Allows direct term search with results hyperlinked to broader and narrower search terms. Available in English and Estonian.
Lexical Freenet - Search for relationships between words and concepts that might never have occurred to you before.
Phrases Thesaurus - A resource for writers. Enter a single word and it will return a list of phrases and sayings that are related to the word in some way. In English.
Plumb Design Visual Thesaurus - An exploration of sense relationships within the English language. By clicking on words, you follow a thread of meaning, creating a spatial map of linguistic associations.
Roget's Interactive Thesaurus - Roget's Thesaurus of English words and phrases.
Roget's International Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases - Online publication of this popular thesaurus made available by Bartleby.com.
Roget's Thesaurus - As distributed by Project Gutenberg - E-text of Roget's Thesaurus No. Two, which is derived from the version of Roget's Thesaurus published in 1911.
Sybrina's Phrase Thesaurus - A creative phrase tool for creative writers of any genre including college students, people just learning English, people wanting to improve their communication skills, artistic professionals and others.
WordNet - a Lexical Database for English - An on-line lexical reference system whose design is inspired by current psycholinguistic theories of human lexical memory. English nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs are organized into synonym sets, each representing one underlying lexical concept. Different relations link the synonym sets. From the Cognitive Science Laboratory, Princeton University
Wordsmyth Educational Dictionary-Thesaurus - Integrated english dictionary and thesaurus.
WWWebster Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Thesaurus
Yahoo! Roget's II Thesaurus - Contains over 260,000 synonyms and cross-references. Features succinct word definitions and hyperlinked category index.