biblio-

1. a combining form occurring in loanwords from Greek ( bibliography ); on this model, used in the formation of compound words with the meaning “book” ( bibliophile ), and sometimes with the meaning “Bible” ( bibliolatry, on the model of idolatry ).

biblio-

combining_form

1. indicating book or books

   bibliography

   bibliomania

Word History and Origins

Origin of biblio-¹

< Latin < Greek, combining form of biblíon; Bible

Word History and Origins

Origin of biblio-¹

from Greek biblion book

Example Sentences

These words begin with biblio; you may have a biblio almost anything.

From Project Gutenberg

If a man spends lavishly on his library, you call him mad—a biblio-maniac.

From Project Gutenberg

Words That Use biblio-

What does biblio- mean?

Biblio- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “book” and occasionally, “Bible.”

Biblio- comes from the Greek biblíon, meaning “book.” You can learn more about its connection to the Bible at our entry for the word.

Biblíon also appears in the word bibliography, from the Greek bibliographía, literally “book-writing.” A bibliography—as the many of us who’ve ever made one know well—is a list of source materials that are used or consulted in the preparation of a work or that are referred to in the text.

Do you know how to format a bibliography? Here’s some tips on how using MLA style. And here’s how you can cite a definition on Dictionary.com!

Examples of biblio-

Would you describe yourself as a bibliophile? A bibliophile is “a person who loves and collects books.”

If you’ve been reading carefully, you know already that biblio- means “book,” but what about the -phile portion of the word? The combining form -phile, from the Greek philos meaning “dear, loving,” means “lover of, enthusiast for.” So, bibliophile literally translates to “book lover”!

What are some words that use the combining form biblio-?

• biblioclast
• bibliofilm
• biblioklept
• bibliolatry
• bibliomancy

What are some other forms that biblio- may be commonly confused with?

• bib.

Break it down!

The combining form -phobia means “fear,” typically an irrational fear. With this in mind, what is bibliophobia?