Reference Tools

Dictionaries, thesauruses, maps, libraries, government, search tools, locators and people finders, medicine and health, databases

With some reference tools (dictionaries and glossaries in particular), there is a search function, which means you have to know how to spell the word.  For others, there are simply alphabetical lists, which will be helpful if you don't know the spelling.   After each source, I've tried to include the type of system used; i.e., 'search' or 'list,'  which will be presented in italics.

American English dictionaries
Pronouncing dictionary
Merriam-Webster
American Heritage
Oxford
dictionary Search. Not a true dictionary.  Gives examples of how a word is used by showing actual written samples from books, writings, etc.

Subject specific dictionaries
American sign language.   Animated human shows how to perform each sign.
Crossword puzzle dictionary.   Search
Medical terms   List.  Spelling seems to be based on United Kingdom English and not on American English.  If you want to know what a runny nose is called in medical terminology, you can find that here in the "A" section under "a runny nose."
Rhyming dictionarySearch
One Look.  Links to a large variety of dictionaries and word lists including medicine and science, agriculture, hobbies and crafts, mathematics, astronomy, business, sports, technology, and so much more. 
http://phrases.shu.ac.uk/ meanings and origins of some phrases
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~pedro/dictionaries.html links to a variety of English and foreign language dictionaries, subject oriented dictionaries, translation dictionaries, thesauruses

English grammar
Elements of Style by Strunk
The American Heritage Book of English Usage

http://www.drgrammar.org/errors.shtml - links to resources

Style guides
http://webster.commnet.edu/mla/index.shtml - MLA
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_apa.html - APA
http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html APA for electronic resources
http://bailiwick.lib.uiowa.edu/journalism/cite.html - miscellaneous links
http://www.drgrammar.org/ - links
http://library.auraria.edu/findit/subj_guides/styleman/stylemanuals.html - good collection of links

Thesaurus
thesaurus Search.  Merriam Webster

Spanish Introductory Spanish lessons with audio.  Links to other Spanish language resources.
Spanish resources and links to help you learn and use your Spanish skills.  Includes links to Spanish search engines, newspapers, magazines, radio and TV. stations.

http://www.askjanis.com/word.htm   word origins.  Links to online dictionaries including subject specific.

Encyclopedias

http://lii.org/search?query="Encyclopedias+and+dictionaries";searchtype=subject  - links to online encyclopedias
http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/rr_gateway/e_ref_shelf/refdict.shtml#menu6.12 links to specific subject encyclopedias.

Writing resources
http://www.som.umd.umich.edu/writing_guidelines.html#IIIC - includes a lot of business items including letter styles

Online libraries
CARRIE: A full text online library with links to fiction, nonfiction, reference tools and more.
Internet Public Library.  Resources, fiction, nonfiction.  Most links point to outside sources.

Miscellaneous
US Copyright Office
http://w1.xrefer.com/ Topics are british history, art, business and law, dictionaries, encyclopedias, English literature, language and usage, music, philosophy, place names, quotations, science, technology, thesaurus.  Slow to return results.  Topics and search results all seem to be UK related. 
Electronic reference resources from Rutgers.  Links to style manuals, food, sports, tax forms, geography, quotations, maps, travel, transportation, religion, and many other subjects.
General reference links to a variety of reference tools including, gazetteers, dictionaries, databases (business), Kelley blue book, quotations, and much more.
PowerReporting  A resource for journalists to help them quickly find topic specific information.  Also has links to dictionaries, encyclopedias, government agencies.

Search tools
Search Engine Watch Links and information about search engines and directories.
European search engines and directories.  Small list.
http://www.psbr.org/search.html. Small list of search engines, people finders, and more.
http://www2.links2go.com/
Databases and information not usually indexed by standard search engines.

Directories
http://www.sites.com Small but varied.

Telephone directories
McLeod.  This link takes you to both the yellow and white pages.  You have to know the region and city to conduct a search (even a location close to the desired city will work if you use the clickable map).   The directory does not give you the area codes, just the seven-digit phone number.   It doesn't look like this directory covers every part of the US, but it does cover Wisconsin. 
Reverse phone directory use when you have a phone number but no name.  Can choose from several providers; the "white pages" seems to be very current.
AT&T
Texas yellow pages
Switchboard

Government
US Department of Defense
National Archives and Record Administration (NARA)   Includes the Federal Register,  federal laws and regulations, veterans records (also used for genealogy), and more.
http://www.nonprofit.gov/  A network of links to Federal government information and services. 
Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health & Human Services, Housing & Urban Development, Interior, Labor, Transportation, and Treasury, EPA, NEA, NEH, GSA, and SBA.  Also information on federal grants and more.
Library of Congress
Legislative information on the internetSearch.  Includes house and senate directory

Medicine and health

National Library of Medicine   government databases include MEDLINE, clinical trials, drug information, toxicology (poisons), visible human project, directory of health organizations, multiple congenital anomaly/mental retardation syndromes, HIV/AIDS resources.  Other resources for physicians and consumers/patients.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/dictionaries.html medical dictionary and glossary links
Drugs and medications Find detailed information about any drug or medication.  Also has a medical abbreviation finder.

Links

http://www.lib.washington.edu/research/reftools.html. Jobs, dictionaries

Maps, gazetteers
MapQuest get driving directions or print out a detailed map.  Useful for truckers.
World time zone map

News, media, communications
Newspapers online newspapers.   International
US and international online newspaper links.  Newspaper archives list, media associations, groups, and associations.

Weather
Intellicast

Shopping
Atlas of direct mail catalogs

 

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