Finding Dictionaries and Encyclopedias: Thesauri
What is a thesaurus?
The Oxford English Dictionary describes a thesaurus as "A collection of concepts or words arranged according to sense; also (U.S.) a dictionary of synonyms and antonyms."
A thesaurus will often give you synonyms and/or antonyms of a word.
"thesaurus, n." OED Online, Oxford University Press, September 2022, www.oed.com/view/Entry/200648. Accessed 8 September 2022.
Online thesauri
- Encyclopaedia Britannica Online: Academic EditionComprehensive reference work including content from several resources: Encyclopaedia Britannica and Britannica Concise Encyclopedia articles as well as media, web sites, and videos. Magazines and journals are also available. Also includes dictionary and thesaurus as well as notable quotations from Merriam-Webster's Dictionary & Thesaurus.
Access Note: Mobile app with limited access available for iOS.
Oxford paperback thesaurusPublication Date: 2012
Pocket Oxford American ThesaurusPublication Date: 2008
Print thesauri
Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus of Current EnglishCall Number: PE1625 .O.89 2007Publication Date: 2007
Subject heading links
Search in the library's catalogue to find thesauri. These subject heading links will bring you lists of all the items owned by the library which have been classified with the relevant subject headings.
Historical Thesaurus
- Oxford English Dictionary (OED Online)This database contains a Historical Thesaurus. To access it, click on the link then look for 'Historical Thesaurus.'
"The Historical Thesaurus groups senses and words in the OED according to their subject, and orders them by date of first use. It functions as a taxonomic index of language history. Unlike a typical thesaurus it is not just for looking up synonyms – instead, it can be used to explore the different words used for a particular concept or meaning over time."