Dictionaries and thesauri (or if you prefer thesauruses)
- The Oxford English Dictionary claims to be the world's most trusted dictionary. If you are a member of a UK public library you can log into this site. Click on Log in and you will see a box called "Library card Login". Enter the number next to the bar code on your library card to get into the site. The site also has a dictionary of quotations and a thesaurus.
- If your sympathies are with a paler blue you may prefer to use Cambridge Dictionaries on-line.
- Alternatively if you need American spelling you may find the Merriam-Webster site useful.
- As an alternative to Oxford's thesaurus you may want to try thesaurus.com.
- If you are interested in the development of language, the University of Glasgow’s Historical Thesaurus of English is a fascinating resource, which took over 50 years to develop. It shows you when words were first used, from early medieval times to the present day, all arranged into detailed hierarchies of meaning. It is really worth reading the page on how to use the site.
