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Dictionaries

Online Resources

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Conversion Tools

FXConverter - Currency Converter for 164 Currencies: FXConverter is a currency conversion tool that indexes 164 currencies and 3 metals in 7 languages. It uses daily OANDA Rates® to provide exchange information.
Online Conversion: This web site has conversion tools for various categories, including clothing sizes, cooking, length, temperature, speed, volume, weight, etc.

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Periodic Table of the Elements

EniG. Periodic Table of the Elements: Edited by a Chemistry Professor from Croatia, this online periodic table provides the atomic number, electron configuration, atomic radius, and relative atomic mass for each element in the table. Each record also has a descriptive paragraph for the element that includes its word origin and date of discovery. [recommended in Choice Special Web Issue 2005]

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Free General Dictionaries

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary: The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary is based on the print version of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition. In addition to the main A-Z listing of the Collegiate Dictionary, it contains the Biographical Names, Geographic Names, Abbreviations, and Foreign Words and Phrases sections.
TheFreeDictionary: The main source of TheFreeDictionary's general dictionary is Houghton Mifflin's American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. This source is supplemented by the Collins Essential English Dictionary, Second Edition, etymologies, translations, illustrations, usage examples, and many other features.

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Free Multilingual Dictionaries

I Love Languages - Dictionaries: This site gathers Web resources on the languages of the world, organized by language. 73 languages are covered with varied depth. [recommended in Choice Special Web Issue 2005]
Basic Vocabulary pages: Part of the All Free Dictionaries Project, the Basic Voculabary pages are standard lists of English words translated into 36 different languages. There is no guide to pronunciation, only a list of written equivalents.

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Free Specialty Dictionaries

YourDictionary - Specialty Dictionaries Directory: "Arranged by more than 125 topics, the directory links to glossaries and dictionaries on everything from carpentry to criminology, beer to wine, law to leather. Some links go to free, online glossaries; others to sites where readers can purchase printed topical dictionaries." [reviewed in Information Outlook May 2008]
Artlex: Artlex is an online art dictionary edited by Michael Delahunt. In addition to an A-Z list of art terms, Artlex also contains longer articles on subjects like "Arms & Armor" and "Bauhaus." Indexed and fully searchable, it covers art production, criticism, history, aesthetics, and education. [recommended in Choice Special Web Issue 2005]
ChemIDplus: ChemIDplus contains over 380,000 chemical records, with over 290,000 that include their chemical structure. The chemicals indexed consist of drugs, pesticides, environmental pollutants, and other potential toxins. You can search by chemical name, toxicity, physical properties, chemical structure, and molecular weight. [reviewed in Medical Reference Services Quarterly Spring 2002]
Electrochemistry Dictionary: This online dictionary contains over 1,000 entries that provide simple and brief definitions of words and phrases used often in electrochemistry. [recommended in Choice Special Web Issue 2005]
NetLingo The Internet Dictionary: NetLingo has thousands of words, phrases, and symbols pertaining to the online world, including an Acryonyms & Text Messaging List and a Smileys & Emoticons glossary. [recommended in Choice Jan. 2006]
Urban Dictionary: Urban Dictionary is a searchable and browseable slang dictionary. Entries are added and rated by users, and they range from notable personalities to new phrases of profanity and new words such as econnoisseur and presponse. Warning: Urban Dictionary is not intended for children under 13, due to its often coarse content. [recommended in Choice Sep. 2007]

Free Braille and ASL Resources

ASLPro American Sign Language Dictionary: ASLPro is a free dictionary of American Sign Language designed primarily for ASL Educators. Each word entry provides a video of a person signing the word or letter. In addition to its main dictionary with over 10,000 entries, the web site contains a listing of religious signs and conversational phrases. Although not intended as a stand-alone resource for learning ASL, it is a valuable resource for people new to ASL or looking for a specific word.
BRL Contraction Lookup Dictionary: This database contains Braille equivalents of 45,000 words, utilizing American Grade 2 Contraction rules. In addition to this Lookup Dictionary, the Braille through Remote Learning web site contains a wealth of information on Braille, including an electronic version of Braille Formats: Principles of Print to Braille Transcription (1997).

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Other Electronic Resources (LSU ID Required)

Oxford English Dictionary Online: OED Online is a highly-regarded etymological dictionary of the English language. Using 2.5 million quotations from a wide range of international English language sources, OED provides usage, both past and present, of over 600,000 words. Pronunciation is given, with regional variations if they exist, and entries also provide alternate accepted spellings. [last reviewed in Library Journal Mar. 2002]
Oxford Music Online: Comprised of Grove Music Online, The Oxford Dictionary of Music, and The Oxford Companion to Music, Oxford Music Online has authoritative articles on composers, performers, and other music personalities, in addition to writings on instruments, musical forms, and genres, among other subjects. [recommended in Choice Oct. 2008]
Oxford Art Online: Encompassing several reference works on art, Oxford Art Online offers entries on individual painters and their work, art movements, theory, and criticism. This resource also has 40,000 image links, 5,000 of them contained in Grove Art Online. In addition to Grove Art, Oxford Art includes The Oxford Companion to Western Art, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms, and The Encyclopedia of Aesthetics. [recommended in Choice Sept. 2008]

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Print Resources

Note: There are three different location codes in this listing. The Ref Desk is the bookcase behind the Reference Desk in the Information Commons. The Ref Stacks are the shelves located along the western wall of the Information Commons. Books in the Stacks are located on the second, third, and fourth floors of the library. See the Circulation Department's web site for call number locations.

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Unabridged Dictionaries

Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 2nd ed.: PE1625 .R293 2005 (Ref Desk)
Websters Third New International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged: PE 1625 .W36 2002 (Ref Desk)

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Desk Dictionaries

American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th ed.: PE 1628 .A623 2000 (Ref Stacks)
See also: TheFreeDictionary
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 10th ed.: PE 1628 .M36 2002 (Stacks)
See also: Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
Random House Webster's College Dictionary, 2nd ed.: PE 1628 .R28 1997 (Ref Stacks)

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Etymology

Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed.: PE 1625 .O87 1989 (Ref Desk)
See also: OED Online (LSU ID required for off-campus access)
Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology: PE 1580 .B35 1988 (Ref Stacks)
Dictionary of Americanisms on Historical Principles: PE 2835 .D5 (Ref Stacks)

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Acronyms & Abbreviations

Acronyms, Initialisms & Abbreviations Dictionary, 38th ed.: PE 1693 .G3 38th Ed. 2007 v.1 (Ref Stacks)
Note: Focuses on North America and Western Europe.
International Acronyms, Initialisms & Abbreviations Dictionary, 5th ed.: P 365 .I57 5th ed. v.1 (Ref Stacks)
Note: Covers over 150 countries. U.S., British, and Canadian terms are excluded unless they have international significance.
Reverse Acronyms, Initialisms & Abbreviations Dictionary, 40th ed.: PE 1693 .G3 40th Ed. 2008 v.2 (Ref Stacks)
Note: Focuses on North America and Western Europe.

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Thesauri and Rhyming Dictionaries

Roget's International Thesaurus, 6th ed.: PE 1591 .R73 2001 (Ref Stacks)
Roget's II: the New Thesaurus, 3rd ed.: PE 1591 .R715 1995 (Stacks)
See also: Roget's II Online
Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes: PE 1519 .O94 2006 (Ref Stacks)
Note: Uses British English pronunciation.
The New Comprehensive American Rhyming Dictionary, 1st ed.: PE 1519 .Y68 1991 (Ref Stacks)
Note: Uses American English pronunciation and includes American slang and colloquialisms.

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Slang and Idioms

Dictionary of American Regional English: PE 2843 .D52 1985 (Ref Stacks)
Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, 8th ed.: PE 3721 .P3 1984B (Ref Stacks)
Note: Emphasis on British slang
New Dictionary of American Slang, 2nd ed.: PE 2846 .C46 1986 (Ref Stacks)
Newspeak: A Dictionary of Jargon: PE 1585 .G735 1984 (Stacks)

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Arts

New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd ed.: ML 100 .N48 2001 (Music Ref)
Note: The New Grove Dictionary is located in the Music Resources Center, Room 202 (second floor).
See also: Oxford Music Online (LSU ID required for off-campus access)
Oxford Dictionary of Art, 3rd ed.: N 33 .O93 2004 (Ref Stacks)
See also: Oxford Art Online (LSU ID required for off-campus access)
Oxford Dictionary of Dance: GV 1585 .C78 2002 (Ref Stacks)
Dictionary of Film Terms, Rev. ed.: TR 847 .B43 1994 (Stacks)
International Dictionary of Broadcasting and Film, 2nd ed.: PN 1990.4 .B64 2000 (Ref Stacks)
See also: NetLibrary e-Book (LSU ID required for off-campus access)

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Business

Dictionary of Business Terms: HF 1001 .S5247 2006 (Ref Stacks)
Oxford Dictionary of Business and Management, 4th ed.: HF 1001 .C63 2006 (Ref Stacks)
Blackwell Encyclopedic Dictionary of Business Ethics: HF 5387 .B55 1997 (Stacks)
See also: NetLibrary e-Book (LSU ID required for off-campus access)
An Eponymous Dictionary of Economics: a Guide to Laws and Theorems Named After Economists: NetLibrary e-Book (LSU ID required for off-campus access)
Penguin Dictionary of Economics, 7th ed.: HB 61 .B33 2003 (Ref Stacks)

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Humanities

Literature | Philosophy | History | Classics | Religion

Literature

Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase & Fable, 17th ed.: PN 43 .B65 2005 (Ref Stacks)
Oxford Dictionary of Allusions: PE 1580 .D45 2001 (Ref Stacks)

Philosophy

Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, 2nd ed.: B 41 .C35 1999 (Ref Stacks)
Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, 2nd ed.: B 41 .B53 2005 (Ref Stacks)

History

Greenwood Dictionary of World History: D 9 .B88 2006 (Ref Stacks)
A Dictionary of World History, 2nd ed.: D 9 .D553 2006 (Ref Stacks)
A Dictionary of Contemporary World History: From 1900 to the Present Day, 3rd ed.: D 419 .P32 2008 (Ref Stacks)
Dictionary of American History, 3rd ed.: E 174 .D52 2003 (Ref Stacks)

Classics

Oxford Classical Dictionary, 3rd ed. rev.: DE 5 .O9 2003 (Ref Stacks)

Religion

Oxford Dictionary of World Religions: BL 31 .O84 1997 (Ref Stacks)
HarperCollins Dictionary of Religions: BL 31 .H37 1995 (Ref Stacks)

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Law

Black's Law Dictionary, 8th ed.: KF 156 .B53 2004
International Law: a Dictionary: KZ 1161 .B63 2005 (Ref Stacks)

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Sciences

General Works

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed.: Q 123 .M15 2003 (Ref Stacks)

Agriculture

The Agriculture Dictionary: S 411 .H47 1991 (Ref Stacks)
Dictionary of Agricultural and Environmental Science: Knovel e-Book (LSU ID required for off-campus access)

Biology

Penguin Dictionary of Biology, 11th ed.: QH 13 .N62 2004 (Ref Stacks)

Chemistry

Oxford Dictionary of Chemistry, 5th ed.: QD 5 .D4985 2004 (Stacks)
Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, 14th ed.: QD 5 .C5 2001 (Ref Stacks)
See also: Knovel e-Book (LSU ID required for off-campus access)

Computer Science

Oxford Dictionary of Computing, 5th ed.: QA 76.15 .D526 2004 (Ref Stacks)
Hutchinson Dictionary of Computing and the Internet: NetLibrary e-Book (LSU ID required for off-campus access)

Earth Sciences

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Earth Science, 2nd ed.: QE 5 .M364 2003 (Ref Stacks)
See also: NetLibrary e-Book (LSU ID required for off-campus access)
Concise Oxford Dictionary of Earth Sciences, 2nd ed.: QE 5 .D54 1999 (Ref Stacks)

Environmental Science

Dictionary of Environment and Conservation: GE 10 .P375 2007 (Ref Stacks)
Facts on File Dictionary of Marine Science, New ed.: GC 9 .F28 2008 (Stacks)

Kinesiology and Sports Sciences

Kinesiology: a Medical Dictionary, Bibliography, and Annotated Research Guide to Internet References: QP 303 .K522 2004 (Stacks)
Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science & Medicine, 3rd ed.: RC 1206 .O94 2006 (Ref Stacks)

Mathematics

Hutchinson Pocket Dictionary of Maths: NetLibrary e-Book (LSU ID required for off-campus access)

Physics

Oxford Dictionary of Physics, 4th ed.: QC 5 .C56 2000 (Ref Stacks)

Psychology and Psychiatry

APA Dictionary of Psychology, 1st ed.: BF 31 .A63 2007 (Ref Stacks)
Oxford Dictionary of Psychology, 2nd ed.: BF 31 .C65 2006 (Ref Stacks)
Campbell's Psychiatric Dictionary, 8th ed.: RC 437 .H5 2004 (Ref Stacks)

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Social Sciences

General Works

Blackwell Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Social Thought: H 41 .B53 2003 (Ref Stacks)
See also: NetLibrary e-Book (LSU ID required for off-campus access)

Anthropology and Human Geography

Dictionary of Concepts in Physical Anthropology: GN 50.3 .S74 1991 (Ref Stacks)
Dictionary of Anthropology: GN 307 .D485 1997 (Ref Stacks)
See also: NetLibrary e-Book (LSU ID required for off-campus access)
Dictionary of Human Geography, 4th ed.: GF 4 .D52 2000 (Ref Stacks)

Archaeology

Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology: CC 70 .C37 2002 (Ref Stacks)

Communication Studies

Webster's New World Dictionary of Media and Communications: P 87.5 .W45 1990 (Ref Stacks)
Dictionary of Media and Communication Studies, 7th ed.: P 87.5 .W38 2006 (Ref Stacks)

Education

American Educator's Encyclopedia, rev. ed.: LB 15 .D37 1991 (Ref Stacks)
Greenwood Dictionary of Education: LB 15 .G68 2003 (Ref Stacks)

Politics

Palgrave Macmillan Dictionary of Political Thought: JA 61 .S37 2007 (Ref Stacks)

Sociology

Cambridge Dictionary of Sociology: HM 425 .C36 2006 (Ref Stacks)
A Dictionary of Sociology, 3rd ed.: HM 425 .D5735 2005 (Stacks)

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Other Special Vocabulary

Buzzwords: the Jargon of the 1990s: PE 1585 .D38 1993 (Stacks)
Juba to Jive: a Dictionary of African-American Slang: PE 3727 .N4 M34 1994B (Stacks)
American Sign Language Handshape Dictionary: NetLibrary e-Book
Gallaudet Dictionary of American Sign Language: HV 2475 .G35 2005(Ref Stacks)
Fashion Dictionary: TT 503 .F374 2006 (Stacks)
Word's Out: Gay Men's English: PE 3727 .G39 L43 1996 (Stacks)
Dictionary for Library and Information Science: Z 1006 .R45 2004 (Ref Stacks)
See also: Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science (ODLIS)
Dictionary of Bias-Free Usage: a Guide to Nondiscriminatory Language: PE 1460 .M26 1991 (Ref Stacks)
New Steinerbooks Dictionary of the Paranormal: BF 1025 .R5
Dictionary of Race, Ethnicity, and Culture: HT 1521 .D537 2003 (Ref Stacks)
Dictionary of the Underworld, British & American, Being the Vocabularies of Crooks, Criminals, Racketeers, Beggars and Tramps, Convicts, the Commercial Underworld, the Drug Traffic, the White Slave Traffic, Spivs, 2nd ed.: PE 3726 .P3 1961 (Stacks)

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Edited and compiled by Mark Zelesky, February 2009