Library Guides: Physics: Dictionaries & Glossaries

Dictionaries & Glossaries in Physics & Astronomy

This page provides links to a variety of dictionaries and glossaries available on the Internet that relate to a number of different topics related to Physics and Astronomy. They include dictionaries and glossaries on General Physics; Astronomy, Astrophysics & Cosmology; Nuclear Science and Particle Physics. If you have any suggestions for additional titles, please do not hesitate to contact me.

General Physics

A Glossary of Frequently Misused or Misunderstood Physics Terms and Concepts
A glossary that explains difficult concepts in Physics.
Time and Frequency from A to Z
A glossary of terms related to time and frequency from the Physical Measurement Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards & Technology.
Eric Weisstein's World of Physics
An encyclopedic dictionary of terms in all areas of Physics, written by Eric Weisstein and provided courtesy of Wolfram Alpha.

Astronomy, Astrophysics & Cosmology

Astronomical Glossary
A collection of astronomical terms from the literature developed by Barry F. Madore at CalTech.
Glossary for Aspiring Cosmologists
A collection of terms related to the origin and structure of the Universe, developed by a number of contributors which has been compiled by Roger Hildebrand at the University of Chicago.
Glossary of Comet & Astronomical Terms
A list of terms related to comets and astronomy developed by the Earth & Planetary Sciences Department at Harvard University.
Imagine the Universe! Dictionary
A dictionary of terms related to astronomy (with some physics) developed by the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA).
NASA Earth Observatory Glossary
A glossary of terms related to Earth and planetary observation developed by NASA.
NASA Science Glossary
A glossary of terms and acronyms related to astronomy and astrophysics.
Sky & Telescope Astronomy Terms
A glossary of popular astronomical terms from the publisher of Sky & Telescope.
Solar Physics Glossary
A glossary of terms related to solar physics from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

Nuclear Science

Glossary of Nuclear Science Terms - Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory has developed two versions of a glossary related to nuclear science. One is a list of terms with definitions, while the other version is illustrated.

Glossary of Nuclear Science Terms
This version of the Glossary of Nuclear Science Terms contains terms and their definitions.

Particle Physics

Particle Physics Glossary (UC Berkeley)
The Center for Particle Astrophysics at the University of California Berkeley has developed this glossary, which is part of the Integrating Science Teaching and Technology web site.