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Reference Resources

Why use dictionaries?

To find definitions of words in a particular field; for word meanings; for etymology (origin); for synonyms and antonyms.

Dictionaries

Oxford English Dictionary
Current (Restricted to VIVA/ODU)
Includes the Oxford English Dictionary, and the Historical Thesaurus of the OED, which contains almost the entire vocabulary of English, from Old English to the present day. Also offers publicly available editorial features, providing guides to the OED content and regular commentaries on topical issues in the story of the English language.

New Dictionary of the History of Ideas
Call Number: CB9.N49 2005

ISBN: 0684313774

Publication Date: 2004-12-03

Mosby's Medical Dictionary by Mosby
Call Number: R121 .M89 2022

ISBN: 9780323639156

Publication Date: 2021-07-06

Visual English Dictionary
The illustrations and cutaways provide a rich treatment of a wide range of topics from astronomy to the human body to the arts and society. The Visual Dictionary provides a perfect way to explore topics that are difficult to explain in words.