Here are some cool free programs/services that will help you get work done.
Both are pretty well know but if you haven't ever used either one of these I highly recommend you take a look.
Wordweb
Dictionary/Thesarus that can be used to look up words in almost any program. Very fast, comprehensive, and thorough. This made writing my last research paper so much easier.
Wikipedia is ok but the articles usually aren't as in depth or unbiased as a regular encyclopedia.
Which is why I don't use it too often. Bartleby is more than just an encyclopedia. I has lots of different sources(quotes, books, stories, essays, ect.)