bibliotheca

American  

[bib-lee-uh-thee-kuh] / ˌbɪb li əˈθi kə /

noun

plural

bibliothecas, bibliothecae

1. a collection of books; a library.

2. a list of books, especially a bookseller's catalog.

3. Obsolete. the Bible.

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bibliotheca British  

/ ˌbɪblɪəʊˈθiːkə /

noun

1. a library or collection of books

2. a printed catalogue compiled by a bibliographer

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Other Word Forms

• bibliothecal adjective

Etymology

Origin of bibliotheca

1820–25; < Latin: library, collection of books ( Medieval Latin: Bible; compare Old English bibliothēce Bible) < Greek bibliothḗkē. See biblio-, theca

Example Sentences

His deputy called him diabolus bibliothecae, “the devil of the library”; others referred to him simply as Old Nick.

From The New Yorker

The Hentoff bibliotheca reads almost like an anthology: works by a jazz aficionado, a mystery writer, an eyewitness to history, an educational reformer, a political agitator, a foe of censors, a social critic.

From New York Times

Aiming at historical fulness and fidelity, we turned to our national bibliotheca at the British Museum, where we fished out of the vasty deep of treasures a MS. without date or name.

From Project Gutenberg

The Germans have a tolerable lending library; and the public bibliotheca in the Town House, near the Jesuit church, is rich in old volumes, mostly collected from religious houses.

From Project Gutenberg

This national bibliotheca sacra in which the writings of the prophets were deposited as soon as they were composed is the product of pure fiction.

From Project Gutenberg