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Ready references that cover all disciplines

Dictionaries

Oxford English Dictionary
The OED traces the history of the English language word by word. Each entry contains a definition, spelling, part of speech, etymology or origin, pronunciation, and quotations to illustrate usage. Other features include cross-referencing by word, as well as searching for quotations by author, date, text and keywords.
Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary
The largest, most comprehensive American dictionary.

Dictionary.com
Comprehensive language website. Includes dictionary and thesaurus lookups, foreign language dictionaries, and links to other language websites.

Encyclopedias

Gale Virtual Reference Library
A library of electronic encyclopedias in a wide range of disciplines.
Encyclopedia Britannica
provided by BadgerLink.net
Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia
Provides over 25,000 encyclopedic entries covering a variety of subject areas.

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