book

[ book ]

/ bʊk /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: book / booked / booking / books on Thesaurus.com

Definition of book

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. books 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.

book value.

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR book

25 reserve, schedule, bill, slate, program.

See synonyms for book on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR book

25 cancel.

See antonyms for book on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about book

book it, Slang. See entry at book it.

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.

close the books, to balance accounts at the end of an accounting period; settle accounts.

cook the books, Informal. cook¹ (def. 13)

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,

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.

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.

to sentence (an offender, lawbreaker, etc.) to the maximum penalties for all charges against that person.
to punish or chide severely.

without book,

from memory.
without authority: to punish 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

First recorded 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

OTHER WORDS FROM book

book·less, adjectivebook·like, adjectivepre·book, verbre·book, verb

un·booked, adjective

Words nearby book

boohai, boohoo, boo-hurrah theory, boojie, boojum tree, book, book bag, bookbinder, bookbindery, bookbinding, book burning

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use book in a sentence

She waited for my rant to finish and then reminded me that the book, still in my hand, was one I had pulled from her own bookshelf.
How Laurence Fishburne Gave Voice To ‘The Autobiography Of Malcolm X’|Joi-Marie McKenzie|September 17, 2020|Essence.com
I defy you to read the book—or, worse, review the Twitter commentary about it—and come away feeling good about the prospects for American comity.
Democracy depends on Washington improving its tech|Adam Lashinsky|September 17, 2020|Fortune
Such deals aren’t typically part of Warren Buffett’s play book, although in 2018 Berkshire invested in the initial offering of Brazilian fintech StoneCo Ltd.
Here’s who made a killing from Snowflake’s blockbuster IPO|Verne Kopytoff|September 16, 2020|Fortune
On the other side, in March everyone who booked a trip cancelled it.
Are you ready to start traveling for work again? TripActions’ CEO is banking on it|Michal Lev-Ram, writer|September 15, 2020|Fortune

More than two decades ago, I wrote a book with my New York Times colleagues Judith Miller and Bill Broad called “Germs” that looked at the modern history of biological warfare.
America Is About to Lose Its 200,000th Life to Coronavirus. How Many More Have to Die?|by Stephen Engelberg|September 14, 2020|ProPublica
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 BEAST
Submission is less a novel of ideas than a political book, and of the most subversive kind.
Houellebecq’s Incendiary Novel Imagines France With a Muslim President|Pierre Assouline|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Her latest book, Heretic: The Case for a Muslim Reformation, will be published in April by HarperCollins.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Our Duty Is to Keep Charlie Hebdo Alive|Ayaan Hirsi Ali|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
At some point during his busy schedule, Israel found the time to write a book, titled The Global War on Morris.
Powerful Congressman Writes About ‘Fleshy Breasts’|Asawin Suebsaeng|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
My publisher had asked, “If you wanted to write another book, what would you want to write about?”
Patton Oswalt on Fighting Conservatives With Satire|William O’Connor|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The supernaturalist alleges that religion was revealed to man by God, and that the form of this revelation is a sacred book.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
But Mrs. Dodd, the present vicar's wife, retained the precious prerogative of choosing the book to be read at the monthly Dorcas.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
A small book, bound in full purple calf, lay half hidden in a nest of fine tissue paper on the dressing-table.
Hilda Lessways|Arnold Bennett
She did not need a great cook-book; She knew how much and what it took To make things good and sweet and light.
Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various
Again the sallow fingers began to play with the book-covers, passing from one to another, but always slowly and gently.
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens

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 coversSee 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 valuein 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 authoritythe 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 comprehensionchemistry 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 endwe 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 advanceto 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 prosecutionhe 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

See also book in, book into, book out, book up

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)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other 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.

book

Definition of book

OTHER WORDS FOR book

OPPOSITES FOR book

Idioms about book

Origin of book

OTHER WORDS FROM book

Words nearby book

Words related to book

How to use book in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for book

Word Origin for book

Other Idioms and Phrases with book