Dictionaries

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The Oxford Reference Online UIUC access only--login required for off-campus use

Oxford Reference Online is the core collection which contains about 100 dictionary, language reference, and subject reference works published by Oxford University Press.

Credo Reference (formerly Xreferplus) UIUC access only--login required for off-campus use

Credo Reference offers over 160 fully searchable reference titles, including encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri and books of quotations, and a range of subject-specific titles covering everything from art to accountancy and literature to law. Includes the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language and many other dictionaries. Find out about the titles in Credo Reference.

The Oxford English Dictionary UIUC access only--login required for off-campus use

The definitive record of the English language. Chronological examples of usage make it especially good for researching the historical development of words.

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary and Thesaurus Free resource--no login required

While not as comprehensive as other sources, this is a good quick reference site from an authority in dictionary publishing.

OneLook Dictionaries Free resource--no login required

OneLook is a meta-dictionary. Enter an English language word or acronym, and OneLook will search its index of over 900 general and special interest dictionaries for the definition.

AlphaDictionary.com Free resource--no login required

Search nearly 1,000 online English dictionaries at once, or use dictionaries in 24 different languages.