Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
Getting Reference
Reference works such as dictionaries and encyclopedias provide background information. These resources are useful when you:
- Want to quickly learn about a topic.
- Are having trouble selecting a topic for an assignment.
- Don’t know what search terms to use.
- Need to find facts and figures.
Virtual Reference
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is widely regarded as the accepted authority on the English language.
Use this widget to search seven collections of reference books.
Suggested Dictionaries
The following is a sample from our reference collection.
The Browser’s Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9780471218029Publication Date:English is not only the most widely spoken language in the world, it is also the most dynamic. And one of the chief sources of its enormous vitality is the many foreign words and phrases with which it is continually enriched. The ultimate guide for writers, editors, and word-lovers of every ilk, The Browsers Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases is an A-to-Z compendium of 2,000 loan-words currently used in English speech and writing.
A Dictionary of Literary Symbols by Call Number: eBookISBN: 0511342748Publication Date:This is the first dictionary of symbols to be based on literature rather than “universal” psychological archetypes, myths, or esoterica. Michael Ferber has assembled nearly two hundred entries clearly explaining and illustrating the literary symbols that we all encounter (such as swan, rose, moon, gold), along with hundreds of cross-references and quotations.
Suggested Handbooks
A Handbook to Literature by Call Number: 803 H7315h4ISBN: 0672614413Publication Date:A Handbook to Literature, 10th Edition, provides an alphabetical listing of important terms and facts in literature including linguistics, rhetoric, criticism, and information technology.
The Oxford Companion to American Literature by Call Number: 810.9 H2515ISBN: 9780195065480Publication Date:For more than half a century, James D. Hart’s The Oxford Companion to American Literature has been an unparalleled guide to America’s literary culture, providing one of the finest resources to this country’s rich history of great writers.
The Oxford Companion to English Literature by Call Number: 820.3 Ox24ISBN: 9780198662440Publication Date:Based on the text of Margaret Drabble’s edition, this sixth edition has been completely reworked and expanded. There are nearly 600 entirely new entries to reflect the new figures and issues of English Literature in the new millennium, and the existing entries have been extensively revised and updated to incorporate the latest scholarship.
The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English by Call Number: 820.3 Ox24sISBN: 9780192122711Publication Date:This is a unique new reference book to English-language writers and writing throughout the twentieth century, in all major genres and from all around the world—from Joseph Conrad to Will Self, Virginia Woolf to David Mamet, Ezra Pound to Peter Carey, James Joyce to Amy Tan.
Suggested Encyclopedias
Benet’s Reader’s Encyclopedia of American Literature by Call Number: 810.9003 B4357ISBN: 0062700278Publication Date:The entries explore all aspects of literature from around the world: biographies of poets and playwrights, novelists and belletrists; plot synopses and character sketches from important works; historical data on literary schools, movements, terms and awards; myths and legends; and more.
Merriam-Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature by Call Number: 803 M551ISBN: 0877790426Publication Date:A rich source of information about the world’s finest literature. Over 10,000 entries and 250 illustrations covering authors, works, and literary terms and topics from all eras and all parts of the world. Includes pronunciations.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Literature by Call Number: Ref. 810.3 Ox25ISBN: 9780195167276Publication Date:This four-volume set covers American literature, from the European discovery of America to the present, with entries in alphabetical order. It includes 350 substantive critical and interpretive essays on the most-studied American authors, literary masterworks, and genres or movements.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of British Literature by Call Number: Ref. 820.3 Ox25ISBN: 0195169212Publication Date:From folk ballads to film scripts, this new five-volume encyclopedia covers the entire history of British literature from the seventh century to the present, focusing on the writers and the major texts of what are now the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
Reference Databases
These research databases contain full-text reference works.
Their content includes encyclopedias and specialized dictionaries but may also include journal articles and other sources.
General Reference
- Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia
- Why search here? This encyclopedia features brief topical overviews useful for beginning almost any research project.
- What’s included? This is a general encyclopedia containing over 25,000 full-text entries.
- Oxford English Dictionary Online
- Why search here? The Oxford English Dictionary is the most authoritative and exhaustive dictionary of the English language, past and present. With the OED, a student can track how the meaning of a word has changed over time. This is especially valuable for students of English.
- What’s included? The OED includes not only current definitions but historical definitions and usages accompanied by examples from a wide range of literature.
Legal & Business Information
- Legal Information Source
- Why search here? Legal Information Source contains legal forms and legal information aimed at the layman rather than the specialist. Topics include family law, property law, and business law, among others.
- What’s included? The collection includes legal reference books from Nolo and thousands of legal forms.
- Small Business Source
- Why search here? Small Business Source contains multiple resources on starting or managing a business. This may be useful for Business majors.
- What’s included? Contents include almost 400 full-text magazines and journals and 400 full-text reference books, as well as market and industry research reports. Additional resources include instructional videos and state-specific demographic information.
English & Literature
- Gale Literature Resource Center
- Why search here? This is the most important database for the English program, and it is also useful for other fields in the humanities.
- What’s included? This database contains full-text author biographies, literary analyses, and reviews for a wide range of literature, conveniently sorted by resource type.
- Poetry & Short Story Reference Source
- Why search here? This database features full-text poems, short stories, and dramatic works, as well as biographies, critical essays, and eBooks.
- What’s included? The database contains 400,000 poems, over 50,000 short stories, over 4,000 dramatic works, and over 1,100 eBooks.
Health & Psychology
- Consumer Health Reference eBook Collection
- Why search here? This collection of reference texts supplements Consumer Health Complete.
- What’s included? The collection includes almost 370 full-text, health-related reference works aimed at the general reader.
- Mental Measurements Yearbook with Tests in Print
- Why search here? The Mental Measurements Yearbook contains descriptions and reviews of commercially available psychometric tests used in education, business, and psychology. Although potentially useful to all students whose field of research involves mental tests, this database is particularly important for graduate students planning their own research projects.
- What’s included? The Mental Measurements Yearbook annually produces extensive descriptions of new testing instruments with reviews by subject experts. Tests in Print maintains a bibliography of all testing instruments currently available in English.
Home & Craft
- Hobbies & Crafts Source
- Why search here? Hobbies & Crafts Source contains an array of popular publications on crafts, hobbies, and recreation.
- What’s included? The database contains over 740 magazines and books as well as over 700 instructional videos.
- Home Improvement Source
- Why search here? Home Improvement Source contains magazines, reference materials, and instructions on all aspects of do-it-yourself home improvement and repair.
- What’s included? The database contains thousands of repair instructions and a wide range of home-improvement magazines and reference books.
Schools & Public Libraries
- MAS Complete
- Why search here? This database contains popular magazines and books on a wide range of nonfiction subjects. Although intended for high schools, it may be useful for subjects such as sports science, fine arts, social science, social work, and others.
- What’s included? Contents include over 540 full-text magazines, 440 reference books, thousands of biographies and primary-source documents, and an image collection.
- MAS Reference eBook Collection
- Why search here? This reference book collection supplements MAS Complete. Although intended for high school students, its contents may be useful in undergraduate classes.
- What’s included? Over 370 reference books on a wide variety of subjects are included.
- MasterFILE Complete
- Why search here? This collection contains a wide selection of popular magazines, reference books, and primary-source documents on many subjects. It is especially useful for researching business and current events.
- What’s included? The collection includes over 2,300 magazines, 1,100 eBooks, 55,000 primary-source documents, and 75,000 Associated Press videos, as well as an image collection.
- MasterFILE Reference eBook Collection
- Why search here? This reference collection supplements MasterFILE Complete. Although intended for public libraries, its contents may be useful in undergraduate classes.
- What’s included? Almost 780 reference books on a wide variety of subjects are included.
- Middle Search Reference eBook Collection
- Why search here? This reference book collection supplements Middle Search Plus. Although intended for middle schools, its contents may be useful in undergraduate classes.
- What’s included? Over 300 reference books on a wide variety of subjects are included.
- Primary Search Reference eBook Collection
- Why search here? This reference book collection supplements Primary Search. Although intended for elementary school students, its contents may be useful to the Division of Education or anyone looking for a cursory overview of a topic.
- What’s included? A large collection of children’s reference books on a wide variety of subjects is included.
