Specialized Dictionary roundup

“A dictionary is a dictionary, right?” Wrong.

Word choice is important. Knowing why you chose a word even more so.

Just as there are many shades of blue, a single term can have many meanings and nuances that your chosen core dictionary may not have. For example, your go-to dictionary may not have medical terminology, abbreviations/acronyms, or slang.

Plus, as any professional editor knows, you have to justify changes that could be considered an opinion ("because I said so" usually doesn't cut it).

That's where specialized dictionaries come in.

Here is a roundup of specialized dictionaries we've used to ensure our clients are using the right words in the best way.
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• Taber’s Medical Dictionary – Medical terms and abbreviations
• Black’s Veterinary Dictionary – Veterinary  terms and insight into signs/symptoms
• Techopedia – Information Technology (IT) terms and abbreviations
• AcronymFinder – Abbreviation and acronym/initialism dictionary
• DOD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms – US Military terms and definitions
• Dictionary of American Regional English – Phrases that vary by state/region (e.g., pop vs. soda; tree lawn vs. Devil strip)
• UrbanDictionary – A wiki of American slang (sometimes not safe for work)

What other specialized dictionaries have you used? Comment below!