book
[ book ]
/ bʊk /
noun
a handwritten or printed work of fiction or nonfiction, usually on sheets of paper fastened or bound together within covers.
a work of fiction or nonfiction in an electronic format: Your child can listen to or read the book online.
See also e-book(def 1).
a number of sheets of blank or ruled paper bound together for writing, recording business transactions, etc.
a division of a literary work, especially one of the larger divisions.
the Book,
the Bible.
Music.
the text or libretto of an opera, operetta, or musical.
books.
book of account.
Jazz.
the total repertoire of a band.
a script or story for a play.
a record of bets, as on a horse race.
Cards.
the number of basic tricks or cards that must be taken before any trick or card counts in the score.
a set or packet of tickets, checks, stamps, matches, etc., bound together like a book.
anything that serves for the recording of facts or events: The petrified tree was a book of Nature.
Sports.
a collection of facts and information about the usual playing habits, weaknesses, methods, etc., of an opposing team or player, especially in baseball: The White Sox book on Mickey Mantle cautioned pitchers to keep the ball fast and high.
Stock Exchange.
- the customers served by each registered representative in a brokerage house.
- a loose-leaf binder kept by a specialist to record orders to buy and sell stock at specified prices.
a pile or package of leaves, as of tobacco.
Mineralogy.
a thick block or crystal of mica.
a magazine: used especially in magazine publishing.
Slang.
bookmaker(def 1).
the book,
- a set of rules, conventions, or standards: The solution was not according to the book but it served the purpose.
- the telephone book: I've looked him up, but he's not in the book.
verb (used with object)
to enter in a book or list; record; register.
to reserve or make a reservation for (a hotel room, passage on a ship, etc.): We booked a table at our favorite restaurant.
to register or list (a person) for a place, transportation, appointment, etc.: The travel agent booked us for next week's cruise.
to engage for one or more performances.
to enter an official charge against (an arrested suspect) on a police register.
to act as a bookmaker for (a bettor, bet, or sum of money): The Philadelphia syndicate books 25 million dollars a year on horse racing.
verb (used without object)
to register one's name.
to engage a place, services, etc.
Slang.
- to study hard, as a student before an exam: He left the party early to book.
- to leave; depart: I'm bored with this party, let's book.
- to work as a bookmaker: He started a restaurant with money he got from booking.
adjective
of or relating to a book or books: the book department; a book salesman.
derived or learned from or based on books: a book knowledge of sailing.
shown by a book of account: The firm's book profit was $53,680.
Verb Phrases
book in,
to sign in, as at a job.
book out,
to sign out, as at a job.
book up,
to sell out in advance: The hotel is booked up for the Christmas holidays.
Idioms for book
bring to book,
to call to account; bring to justice: Someday he will be brought to book for his misdeeds.
by the book,
according to the correct or established form; in the usual manner: an unimaginative individual who does everything by the book.
- to accept or place the bets of others, as on horse races, especially as a business.
- to wager; bet: You can make book on it that he won't arrive in time.
- to sentence (an offender, lawbreaker, etc.) to the maximum penalties for all charges against that person.
- to punish or chide severely.
- from memory.
- without authority: to punish without book.
close the books,
to balance accounts at the end of an accounting period; settle accounts.
cook the books, Informal.
cook1(def 12)
in one's bad books,
out of favor; disliked by someone: He's in the boss's bad books.
in one's book,
in one's personal judgment or opinion: In my book, he's not to be trusted.
in one's good books,
in favor; liked by someone.
like a book,
completely; thoroughly: She knew the area like a book.
make book,
off the books,
done or performed for cash or without keeping full business records: especially as a way to avoid paying income tax, employment benefits, etc.: Much of his work as a night watchman is done off the books.
one for the book/books,
a noteworthy incident; something extraordinary: The daring rescue was one for the book.
on the books,
entered in a list or record: He claims to have graduated from Harvard, but his name is not on the books.
throw the book at, Informal.
without book,
write the book,
to be the prototype, originator, leader, etc., of: So far as investment banking is concerned, they wrote the book.
Origin of book
before 900; Middle English, Old English
bōc; cognate with Dutch
boek, Old Norse
bōk, German
Buch; akin to Gothic
boka letter (of the alphabet) and not of known relation to
beech, as is often assumed
SYNONYMS FOR book
OTHER WORDS FROM book
book·less, adjective
book·like, adjective
pre·book, verb
re·book, verb
un·booked, adjective
Words nearby book
boogie-woogie,
boogieman,
boohai,
boohoo,
boojum tree,
book,
book bag,
book burning,
book club,
book end,
book gill
Example sentences from the Web for book
Yet this, in the end, is a book from which one emerges sad, gloomy, disenchanted, at least if we agree to take it seriously.
Houellebecq’s Incendiary Novel Imagines France With a Muslim President |Pierre Assouline |January 9, 2015 |DAILY BEASTAt some point during his busy schedule, Israel found the time to write a book, titled The Global War on Morris.
Completed in 1953 and composed with standard line breaks and punctuation, the book was completely ignored upon submission.
Perhaps, as Dwight Garner wrote, Steinberg just needed an idea for a book.
Fred Logevall at Cornell won the Pulitzer Prize and is a diplomatic historian; he just started a book on Kennedy.
Thank Congress, Not LBJ for Great Society |Julian Zelizer, Scott Porch |January 4, 2015 |DAILY BEASTSeeing that they looked at the book, I turned the page quickly to hide the note.
Eastern Nights - and Flights |Alan BottAnd in the book it said, "It can be maintained that the evil of pride consists in being out of proportion to the universe."
Tremendous Trifles |G. K. ChestertonThe omission of the book numbered 88 will also have been remarked.
Immortal Memories |Clement ShorterOn the hand lying upon the book there fell a bright sunbeam.
Christian Gellert's Last Christmas |Berthold AuerbachThe Book of Jonah was written directly in rebuke of one form of Jewish exclusiveness.
Expositor's Bible: Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther |Walter Adeney
British Dictionary definitions for book
book
/ (bʊk) /
noun
a number of printed or written pages bound together along one edge and usually protected by thick paper or stiff pasteboard covers
See also hardback, paperback
- a written work or composition, such as a novel, technical manual, or dictionary
- (as modifier)the book trade; book reviews
- (in combination)bookseller; bookshop; bookshelf; bookrack
a number of blank or ruled sheets of paper bound together, used to record lessons, keep accounts, etc
(plural)
a record of the transactions of a business or society
the script of a play or the libretto of an opera, musical, etc
a major division of a written composition, as of a long novel or of the Bible
a number of tickets, sheets, stamps, etc, fastened together along one edge
bookmaking
a record of the bets made on a horse race or other event
(in card games) the number of tricks that must be taken by a side or player before any trick has a scoring value
in bridge, six of the 13 tricks form the book
strict or rigid regulations, rules, or standards (esp in the phrases according to the book, by the book)
a source of knowledge or authority
the book of life
a telephone directory (in the phrase in the book)
the book (sometimes capital)
the Bible
an open book
a person or subject that is thoroughly understood
a closed book
a person or subject that is unknown or beyond comprehension
chemistry is a closed book to him
bring to book
to reprimand or require (someone) to give an explanation of his conduct
close the book on
to bring to a definite end
we have closed the book on apartheid
close the books accounting
to balance accounts in order to prepare a statement or report
cook the books informal
to make fraudulent alterations to business or other accounts
in my book
according to my view of things
in someone's bad books
regarded by someone with disfavour
in someone's good books
regarded by someone with favour
keep the books
to keep written records of the finances of a business or other enterprise
on the books
- enrolled as a member
- registered or recorded
read someone like a book
to understand a person, or his motives, character, etc, thoroughly and clearly
throw the book at
- to charge with every relevant offence
- to inflict the most severe punishment on
verb
to reserve (a place, passage, etc) or engage the services of (a performer, driver, etc) in advance
to book a flight; to book a band
(tr)
to take the name and address of (a person guilty of a minor offence) with a view to bringing a prosecution
he was booked for ignoring a traffic signal
(tr)
(of a football referee) to take the name of (a player) who grossly infringes the rules while playing, two such acts resulting in the player's dismissal from the field
(tr) archaic
to record in a book
Word Origin for book
Old English
bōc; related to Old Norse
bōk, Old High German
buoh book, Gothic
bōka letter; see
beech (the bark of which was used as a writing surface)
Idioms and Phrases with book
book
see balance the books; black book; bring to book; by the book; closed book; close the books; cook the books; crack a book; hit the books; in one's book; in someone's bad graces (books); judge a book by its cover; know like a book; make book; nose in a book; one for the books; open book; take a leaf out of someone's book; throw the book at; wrote the book on.