reference work
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reference work
A book or digital collection in which you can quickly find information on specific topics, such as a lexicon, dictionary, or encyclopedia.
Für seine Recherche benutzte er mehrere historische Nachschlagewerke aus der Bibliothek.
For his research, he used several historical reference works from the library.
The word is very descriptive. It consists of the verb 'nachschlagen' (to look up) and 'das Werk' (work, book). A 'Nachschlagewerk' (reference work) is therefore literally a 'work for looking up' information.
Ein gutes Wörterbuch ist ein unverzichtbares Nachschlagewerk.
A good dictionary is an indispensable reference work.
The most common action connected with this word is 'in einem Nachschlagewerk etwas nachzuschlagen' (to look something up in a reference work). Other typical verbs are 'benutzen' (to use), 'verwenden' (to use), or the more formal 'konsultieren' (to consult).
Ich muss das Datum in einem Nachschlagewerk nachschlagen.
I have to look up the date in a reference work.
'Nachschlagewerk' (reference work) is an umbrella term for many different kinds of books. It can be a dictionary, a lexicon, an encyclopedia, an atlas, or a specialist handbook.
Diese Online-Enzyklopädie ist ein sehr nützliches Nachschlagewerk.
This online encyclopedia is a very useful reference work.
manual / handbook
Handbuch and Nachschlagewerk are both used to answer specific questions. Nachschlagewerk emphasizes that individual pieces of information can be found quickly. Handbuch additionally suggests that a field is presented systematically and as comprehensively as possible.
Im Nachschlagewerk findet Mia schnell die Erklärung eines einzelnen Fachbegriffs.
In the reference work, Mia quickly finds the explanation of a single technical term.
Das Handbuch bietet eine systematische Übersicht über das gesamte Fachgebiet.
The handbook provides a systematic overview of the entire field.
