bookshelf

American  

[book-shelf] / ˈbʊkˌʃɛlf /

noun

PLURAL

bookshelves

1. a shelf for holding books, especially one of several shelves in a bookcase.

---

Etymology

Origin of bookshelf

First recorded in 1810–20; book + shelf

Compare meaning

How does bookshelf compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• bookshelf vs. bookcase

Example Sentences

Others decorate mantelpieces, bookshelves and walls with their plastic builds, often to spouses’ chagrin.

From The Wall Street Journal

She wrapped her classroom’s bookshelf in red butcher paper and wrote “books the state doesn’t want you to read” on it in black marker.

From Salon

In their first adventure, which hit bookshelves in 2017, a deadly king cobra has escaped from London Zoo onto the streets of the capital, and it is up to Toto to save the day.

From BBC

By contrast, when asked what she would grab if her apartment were on fire, she walked over to a bookshelf and picked up a ceramic pitcher.

From Los Angeles Times

And when they do, they often rely on the teachings of a single, 87-page volume they all keep on their bookshelves.

From The Wall Street Journal