Book
As a physical object, a book is a stack of usually rectangular pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) oriented with one edge tied, sewn, or otherwise fixed together and then bound to the flexible spine of a protective cover of heavier, relatively inflexible material. The technical term for this physical arrangement is codex (in the plural, codices). In the history of hand-held physical supports for extended written compositions or records, the codex replaces its immediate predecessor, the scroll. A single sheet in a codex is a leaf, and each side of a leaf is a page.
As an intellectual object, a book is prototypically a composition of such great length that it takes a considerable investment of time to compose and a still considerable, though not so extensive, investment of time to read. This sense of book has a restricted and an unrestricted sense. In the restricted sense, a book is a self-sufficient section or part of a longer composition, a usage that reflects the fact that, in antiquity, long works had to be written on several scrolls, and each scroll had to be identified by the book it contained. So, for instance, each part of Aristotle’s Physics is called a book, as of course, the Bible encompasses many different books. In the unrestricted sense, a book is the compositional whole of which such sections, whether called books or chapters or parts, are parts.
The intellectual content in a physical book need not be a composition, nor even be called a book. Books can consist only of drawings, engravings, or photographs, or such things as crossword puzzles or cut-out dolls. In a physical book, the pages can be left blank or can feature an abstract set of lines as support for on-going entries, i.e., an account book, an appointment book, a log book, an autograph book, a notebook, a diary or day book, or a sketchbook. Some physical books are made with pages thick and sturdy enough to support other physical objects, like a scrapbook or photograph album. Books may be distributed in electronic form as e-books and other formats.
Although in ordinary academic parlance a monograph is understood to be a specialist academic work, rather than a reference work on a single scholarly subject, in library and information science monograph denotes more broadly any non-serial publication complete in one volume (book) or a finite number of volumes (even a novel like Proust’s seven-volume In Search of Lost Time), in contrast to serial publications like a magazine, journal, or newspaper. An avid reader or collector of books or a book lover is a bibliophile or colloquially, “bookworm”. A shop where books are bought and sold is a bookshop or bookstore. Books are also sold elsewhere. Books can also be borrowed from libraries. Google has estimated that as of 2010, approximately 130,000,000 distinct titles had been published. In some wealthier nations, the sale of printed books has decreased because of the increased usage of e-books.
Book (noun)
A collection of sheets of paper bound together to hinge at one edge, containing printed or written material, pictures, etc.
“She opened the book to page 37 and began to read aloud.”
“He was frustrated because he couldn’t find anything about dinosaurs in the book.”
Book (noun)
A long work fit for publication, typically prose, such as a novel or textbook, and typically published as such a bound collection of sheets.
“I have three copies of his first book.”
Book (noun)
A universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
Book (noun)
A major division of a long work.
“Genesis is the first book of the Bible.”
“Many readers find the first book of A Tale of Two Cities to be confusing.”
“tome|volume”
Book (noun)
A record of betting (from the use of a notebook to record what each person has bet).
“I’m running a book on who is going to win the race.”
Book (noun)
A convenient collection, in a form resembling a book, of small paper items for individual use.
“a book of stamps”
“a book of raffle tickets”
“booklet”
Book (noun)
The script of a musical.
“libretto”
Book (noun)
Records of the accounts of a business.
“account|record”
Book (noun)
A long document stored (as data) that is or will become a book; an e-book.
Book (noun)
A colloquial reference to a book award, a recognition for receiving the highest grade in a class (traditionally an actual book, but recently more likely a letter or certificate acknowledging the achievement).
Book (noun)
Six tricks taken by one side.
Book (noun)
four of a kind
Book (noun)
A document, held by the referee, of the incidents happened in the game.
Book (noun)
A list of all players who have been booked (received a warning) in a game.
Book (noun)
The twenty-sixth Lenormand card.
Book (verb)
To reserve (something) for future use.
“I want to book a hotel room for tomorrow night”
“I can book tickets for the concert next week.”
“reserve”
Book (verb)
To write down, to register or record in a book or as in a book.
“They booked that message from the hill”
“note [[down|record|write down”
Book (verb)
To record the name and other details of a suspected offender and the offence for later judicial action.
“The police booked him for driving too fast.”
Book (verb)
To issue with a caution, usually a yellow card, or a red card if a yellow card has already been issued.
Book (verb)
To travel very fast.
“He was really booking, until he passed the speed trap.”
“bomb|hurtle|rocket|speed|shoot|whiz”
Book (verb)
To record bets as bookmaker.
Book (verb)
To receive the highest grade in a class.
“The top three students had a bet on which one was going to book their intellectual property class.”
Book (verb)
To leave.
“He was here earlier, but he booked.”
Tome (noun)
One in a series of volumes.
Tome (noun)
A large or scholarly book.
“The professor pulled a dusty old tome from the bookshelf.”
Book (noun)
a written or printed work consisting of pages glued or sewn together along one side and bound in covers
“a book of selected poems”
Book (noun)
a literary composition that is published or intended for publication as a book
“he’s writing a book about his experiences”
Book (noun)
a main division of a literary work or of the Bible
“the Book of Genesis”
Book (noun)
the libretto of a musical or opera, or the script of a play.
Book (noun)
used to refer to studying
“he was so deep in his books he would forget to eat”
Book (noun)
the telephone directory for the area in which someone lives
“is your name in the book?”
Book (noun)
a magazine
“Charlotte’s mother always called magazines ‘books’”
“women’s books like Cosmopolitan and Ladies’ Home Journal”
Book (noun)
an imaginary record or list (often used to emphasize the comprehensiveness of someone’s actions or experience)
“she felt every emotion in the book of love”
Book (noun)
a bound set of blank sheets for writing in
“an accounts book”
Book (noun)
a set of records or accounts
“a bid to balance the books”
Book (noun)
a bookmaker’s record of bets accepted and money paid out.
Book (noun)
the notebook in which a referee writes the names of players who are cautioned for foul play
“his name went into the book for a foul on Smyth”
Book (noun)
the first six tricks taken by the declarer in a hand of bridge, after which further tricks count towards fulfilling the contract.
Book (noun)
a set of tickets, stamps, matches, samples of cloth, etc., bound together
“a pattern book”
Book (verb)
reserve (accommodation, a place, etc.); buy (a ticket) in advance
“book early to avoid disappointment”
“I have booked a table at the Swan”
Book (verb)
reserve accommodation for (someone)
“his secretary had booked him into the Howard Hotel”
“book me a single room at my usual hotel”
Book (verb)
register one’s arrival at a hotel
“he booked in at a hotel”
Book (verb)
engage (a performer or guest) for an event
“the promoter booked him for another appearance”
Book (verb)
have all places reserved; be full
“at weekends we’re usually booked up”
Book (verb)
make an official note of the personal details of (a person who has broken a law or rule)
“the cop booked me and took me down to the station”
Book (verb)
(of a referee) note down the name of (a player) who is cautioned for foul play
“McMahon was booked for a foul”
Book (verb)
leave suddenly
“they just ate your pizza and drank your soda and booked”
Book (verb)
move quickly; hurry
“I didn’t hear the verdict because I had to book it to work”
“my sister and I booked to the playground”
Tome (noun)
a book, especially a large, heavy, scholarly one
“a weighty tome”
Book Illustrations
