Use dictionaries to better understand words and concepts.
Language dictionaries
Language dictionaries provide definitions of words or translate between languages.
Canadian Oxford Dictionary
The second edition (2004) is the definitive source for Canadian English.
Oxford English Dictionary (OED)
The most authoritative and comprehensive dictionary of the English language.
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary
A reliable and easy-to-use dictionary. Also contains a thesaurus.
Cambridge Dictionaries Online
Multilingual and English dictionaries, including for English language learners.
Subject dictionaries
Subject dictionaries define specialized words in a particular subject area or discipline.
This is just a small sample of the hundreds of print and online dictionaries available at SFU Libraries:
- Sage dictionary of criminology
- Cambridge dictionary of psychology
- BCS glossary of computing and ICT
- Dictionary of food and nutrition
Finding subject dictionaries
To find more, try a keyword search for dictionary + your topic in the Library Catalogue.