The Reference Shelf
Dictionaries:  English Language

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Thesauruses
Cambridge Thesaurus of American English "Every attempt has been made to provide an ample number of apt synonyms for each entry, thus avoiding the overwhelming number found in Roget's [Thesaurus] and the limited number of synonyms founds in many alphabetical thesauruses."	netLibrary
Oxford American Thesaurus of Current English "[Each entry has] accompanying example sentences and phrases. Key entries are also supplemented by antonym lists... Clear, expert advice on grammar, usage, and pronunciation..."	Oxford

Other (slang, idioms, and more)
American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms "An idiom is a set phrase of two or more words that means something different from the literal meaning of the individual words.  For instance, ... to hit the nail on the head often has nothing to do with carpentry but means simply "to be absolutely right."	netLibrary
Browser's Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases "It is ... a dictionary to help you elucidate what you come across every day in newspapers or hear on television.... It guides you to the correct pronunciation of foreign words, using transcriptions from ordinary English.... The entries focus on those words that an American reader will recognize as truly foreign." café au lait (kah-FAY oh LAY) [French] Coffee with an equal amount of hot milk. A light-brown color.	netLibrary
Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology "Contains a wealth of information about the English language and its history. Find out where the words 'bungalow' and 'assassin' came from, what 'nice' meant in the Middle Ages and much more."	Oxford
New Dictionary of Eponyms "Features the entertaining histories behind hundreds of eponyms, such as bowdlerize (from the censorious Thomas Bowdler), bikini from the atoll, and the Salisbury steak, a dish of hamburger and brown gravy named after James H. Salisbury, an English physician who promoted a diet of ground beef. There are hundreds more - discover to whom we owe the terms hooker, sideburn, zeppelin, the cardigan sweater, pamphlet, robot, and argyle socks."	Oxford
NTC's American Idioms Dictionary "Designed for easy use by lifelong speakers of English, as well as the new-to-English speaker or learner.... It focuses on the user’s need to know the meaning, usage, and appropriate contexts for each idiomatic phrase."	netLibrary
NTC's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions "This dictionary is a collection of slang and colloquial expressions in frequent use in the United States in the twentieth century. It contains expressions that are familiar to many Americans and other expressions that are used primarily within small groups of people. The entries represent the language of the underworld, the nursery, the college campus, California beaches, urban back streets, and Wall Street. We hear from prisoners, surfers, junkies, Valley Girls, blacks, weight lifters, and just plain folks. Fad words, metaphors, wordplay, and various figures of speech make up the body of the dictionary."	netLibrary
Oxford Dictionary of Idioms "Explores the meanings and origins of such well-known idioms as 'set the world alight', 'cost an arm and a leg', 'once in a blue moon', and 'the tip of the iceberg'. Additions since the last edition, include such colourful expressions as 'chew the scenery', 'jump the shark', and 'give someone the hairy eyeball'."	Oxford
Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs "Provides the fascinating history behind our proverbs. Discover the story behind 'Never say never', 'It takes one to know one', 'The devil is in the detail', and 'If you want something done, ask a busy person'. "	Oxford
Oxford Essential Dictionary of Foreign Terms in English "Includes detailed information on the spelling, history, and usage of thousands of foreign words and phrases used by English speakers. There are words from more than forty languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, Latin, Portuguese, Spanish, and Yiddish. Terms from cooking, fashion, and music jostle with others from fine arts, history, law, politics, business, and travel."	Oxford
Visual English Dictionary "The illustrations are a perfect way to explore topics, such as geography, science, and medicine that are typically difficult to explain in words.  A wide range of topics from astronomy and the human body to the arts and society; subjects as diverse as sport, architecture, computing, and weapons."	Oxford