Ready Reference

Your one-stop searching for online dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacs, as well as other resources to answer those seeminly "quick" questions.

Dictionaries

Merriam-Webster have placed their excellent dictionary and thesaurus online. You'll also find Spanish language materials, a medical dictionary, and word games here.

YourDictionary is a collection of dictionaries, from word definitions to technical dictionaries.

OneLook Dictionary will show definitions for the word you seek from a variety of online dictionaries.

Encyclopedias

Encyclopedia.com functions like the above-mentioned OneLook Dictionary, and will search a variety of online encyclopedias for your search.

The Encyclopedia Britannica is the online version of that famous print edition you likely used to write your papers a long time ago. While only a small amount of content is free, you can sign up for a free two-week account to use the material requiring a login.

Almanacs

The World Almanac. While this is not a replacement for the print version, a portion of this annual can be found online. Plus they have a Twitter feed!

The Original Farmer's Almanac has been produced since 1792 and provides a wide range of practical information.

Atlases

The World Atlas for your geography needs.

More Reference

Bartleby's has a wide range of reference texts available in full and for free.

RefDesk and The Internet Public Library are home to a slew of online reference sources.