GENERAL DICTIONARIES:
The Big Guy:
Oxford English dictionary 20v. plus 3 volumes of Additions Series [RR PE1625.087 1989] Entries outline the history of a given word, from the date of its introduction to the present. They illustrate how meaning, pronunciation, and use have changed over time. A good portion of each entry consists of examples of use over the centuries and includes references to the actual publications.
OED Online
The on-line edition of Oxford English Dictionary. Contains the complete text of the 20-volume Second Edition and its 3-volume Additions Series. St. Olaf has a subscription to this resource.
A Guide to the Oxford English dictionary [RR PE1617 .049 B47 1993]
A great source explaining the various nuances of the OED.
Smaller Guys:
The Random House dictionary of the English language [PE1625 .R3 1987]
Webster's third new international dictionary of the English language unabridged [RR PE1625 .W3 1986]
Encarta world English dictionary [RR PE1628 .S5824 1999]
SPECIALIZED DICTIONARIES:
Illustrated:
The American heritage illustrated encyclopedic dictionary [RR PE1628 .A624 1987]
Dorling Kindersley ultimate visual dictionary [RR PE1629 .D67 1994]
DK illustrated Oxford dictionary [RR PE1629 .D5 1998]
Of Cliches and Word Combinations:
The Facts on File dictionary of clichés [RR PE1689 .A48 2001]
The BBI dictionary of English word combinations [RR PE1689 .B46 1997]
Of Word Origins:
The Facts on File encyclopedia of word and phrase origins [RR PE1689 .H47 2004]
The Barnhart dictionary of etymology [RR PE1580 .B35 1988]
Of Idioms:
Longman idioms dictionary [RR PE1460 .L66 1998]
Oxford dictionary of current idiomatic English 2v. [RR PE1460 .O87]
Of Rhyme:
Words to rhyme with: for poets and song writers [RR PE1519 .E87 1986]
Oxford rhyming dictionary [RR PE1519 .U67 2004]
Of Allusions:
Merriam-Webster's dictionary of allusions [RR PN43 .W384 1999]
Allusions : cultural, literary, Biblical, and historical : a thematic dictionary [RR PN43 .A4]
Of Phrase and Fable:
Brewer's dictionary of phrase & fable [RR PN43 .B66 1999]
The Oxford dictionary of phrase and fable [RR PN43 .O94 2000]
Of Slang:
Random House historical dictionary of American slang 2v. [RR PE2846 .H57 1994]
Slang and euphemism: a dictionary of oaths, curses, insults, sexual slang and metaphor, racial slurs, drug talk, homosexual lingo, and related matters [RR PE3721 .S67]
Of Foreign Words and Phrases:
The Oxford dictionary of foreign words and phrases [RR PE1582.A3 O94 1997]
Cassell's foreign words and phrases [RR PE1582.A3 R66 2000]
Of Regionalisms:
Dictionary of American regional English 4v. [RR PE2843 .D52]
Of Other Curious Things:
The New York times everyday reader's dictionary of misunderstood, misused, mispronounced words [RR PE1680 .U7]
Homophones and homographs: an American dictionary [RR PE2833 .H63 1999]
How not to say what you mean: a dictionary of euphemisms [RR PE1449 .H548 2002]
A dictionary of eponyms [RR PE1596 .B43 1988]
Dictionary of Smoky Mountain English [RR PE2927.G7 M66 2004]
Words of the Vietnam War: the slang, jargon, abbreviations, acronyms, nomenclature, nicknames, pseudonyms, slogans, specs, euphemisms, double-talk, chants, and names and places of the era of United States involvement in Vietnam [RR PE3727.S7 C57 1990]
THESAURI:
The Oxford American writer's thesaurus [RR PE1591 .L625 2004]
Roget's international thesaurus [RR PE1591 .R73 1992]
The thinker's thesaurus: sophisticated alternatives to common words [RR PE1591 .M464 2005]
Choose the right word: a modern guide to synonyms [RR PE1591 .H37 1987]
Funk & Wagnalls standard handbook of synonyms, antonyms, and prepositions [RR PE1591 .F36 1947 R.R.]
A FEW NICE FREE DICTIONARIES ON THE WEB:
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary & Thesaurus (http://www.m-w.com/dictionary.htm)
Etymology Dictionary ( http://www.etymonline.com)
Acronym Finder (http://www.acronymfinder.com/)
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus (http://www.bartleby.com/62/)
