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View synonyms for book

book

[ book ]

noun

  1. a handwritten or printed work of fiction or nonfiction, usually on sheets of paper fastened or bound together within covers.
  2. a work of fiction or nonfiction in an electronic format: e-book ( def 1 ).

    Your child can listen to or read the book online.

  3. a number of sheets of blank or ruled paper bound together for writing, recording business transactions, etc.
  4. a division of a literary work, especially one of the larger divisions.
  5. the Book, the Bible.
  6. Music. the text or libretto of an opera, operetta, or musical.
  7. Jazz. the total repertoire of a band.
  8. a script or story for a play.
  9. a record of bets, as on a horse race.
  10. Cards. the number of basic tricks or cards that must be taken before any trick or card counts in the score.
  11. a set or packet of tickets, checks, stamps, matches, etc., bound together like a book.
  12. anything that serves for the recording of facts or events:

    The petrified tree was a book of Nature.

  13. 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.

  14. Stock Exchange.
    1. the customers served by each registered representative in a brokerage house.
    2. a loose-leaf binder kept by a specialist to record orders to buy and sell stock at specified prices.
  15. a pile or package of leaves, as of tobacco.
  16. Mineralogy. a thick block or crystal of mica.
  17. a magazine: used especially in magazine publishing.
  18. the book,
    1. a set of rules, conventions, or standards:

      The solution was not according to the book but it served the purpose.

    2. the telephone book:

      I've looked him up, but he's not in the book.



verb (used with object)

  1. to enter in a book or list; record; register.
  2. to reserve or make a reservation for (a hotel room, passage on a ship, etc.):

    We booked a table at our favorite restaurant.

  3. to register or list (a person) for a place, transportation, appointment, etc.:

    The travel agent booked us for next week's cruise.

  4. to engage for one or more performances.

    Synonyms: program, slate, bill, schedule, reserve

    Antonyms: cancel

  5. to enter an official charge against (an arrested suspect) on a police register.
  6. 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)

  1. to register one's name.
  2. to engage a place, services, etc.
  3. Slang.
    1. to study hard, as a student before an exam:

      He left the party early to book.

    2. to leave; depart:

      I'm bored with this party, let's book.

    3. to work as a bookmaker:

      He started a restaurant with money he got from booking.

adjective

  1. of or relating to a book or books:

    the book department;

    a book salesman.

  2. derived or learned from or based on books:

    a book knowledge of sailing.

  3. shown by a book of account:

    The firm's book profit was $53,680.

verb phrase

  1. to sign out, as at a job.
  2. to sell out in advance:

    The hotel is booked up for the Christmas holidays.

  3. to sign in, as at a job.

book

/ bʊk /

noun

  1. a number of printed or written pages bound together along one edge and usually protected by thick paper or stiff pasteboard covers See also hardback paperback
    1. a written work or composition, such as a novel, technical manual, or dictionary
    2. ( as modifier )

      book reviews

      the book trade

    3. ( in combination )

      bookseller

      bookrack

      bookshelf

      bookshop

  2. a number of blank or ruled sheets of paper bound together, used to record lessons, keep accounts, etc
  3. plural a record of the transactions of a business or society
  4. the script of a play or the libretto of an opera, musical, etc
  5. a major division of a written composition, as of a long novel or of the Bible
  6. a number of tickets, sheets, stamps, etc, fastened together along one edge
  7. bookmaking a record of the bets made on a horse race or other event
  8. (in card games) the number of tricks that must be taken by a side or player before any trick has a scoring value

    in bridge, six of the 13 tricks form the book

  9. strict or rigid regulations, rules, or standards (esp in the phrases according to the book, by the book )
  10. a source of knowledge or authority

    the book of life

  11. a telephone directory (in the phrase in the book )
  12. the book
    sometimes capital the Bible
  13. an open book
    a person or subject that is thoroughly understood
  14. a closed book
    a person or subject that is unknown or beyond comprehension

    chemistry is a closed book to him

  15. bring to book
    to reprimand or require (someone) to give an explanation of his conduct
  16. close the book on
    to bring to a definite end

    we have closed the book on apartheid

  17. close the books
    accounting to balance accounts in order to prepare a statement or report
  18. cook the books informal.
    to make fraudulent alterations to business or other accounts
  19. in my book
    according to my view of things
  20. in someone's bad books
    regarded by someone with disfavour
  21. in someone's good books
    regarded by someone with favour
  22. keep the books
    to keep written records of the finances of a business or other enterprise
  23. on the books
    1. enrolled as a member
    2. registered or recorded
  24. read someone like a book
    to understand a person, or his motives, character, etc, thoroughly and clearly
  25. throw the book at
    1. to charge with every relevant offence
    2. to inflict the most severe punishment on
“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


verb

  1. to reserve (a place, passage, etc) or engage the services of (a performer, driver, etc) in advance

    to book a band

    to book a flight

  2. tr to take the name and address of (a person guilty of a minor offence) with a view to bringing a prosecution

    he was booked for ignoring a traffic signal

  3. 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
  4. archaic.
    tr to record in a book
“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
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Other Words From

  • book·less adjective
  • book·like adjective
  • pre·book verb
  • re·book verb
  • un·booked adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of book1

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
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Word History and Origins

Origin of book1

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)
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. book it, Slang. book it.
  2. bring to book, to call to account; bring to justice:

    Someday he will be brought to book for his misdeeds.

  3. by the book, according to the correct or established form; in the usual manner:

    an unimaginative individual who does everything by the book.

  4. close the books, to balance accounts at the end of an accounting period; settle accounts.
  5. cook the books, Informal. cook 1( def 13 )
  6. in one's bad books, out of favor; disliked by someone:

    He's in the boss's bad books.

  7. in one's book, in one's personal judgment or opinion:

    In my book, he's not to be trusted.

  8. in one's good books, in favor; liked by someone.
  9. like a book, completely; thoroughly:

    She knew the area like a book.

  10. make book,
    1. to accept or place the bets of others, as on horse races, especially as a business.
    2. to wager; bet:

      You can make book on it that he won't arrive in time.

  11. 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.

  12. on the books, entered in a list or record:

    He claims to have graduated from Harvard, but his name is not on the books.

  13. one for the book / books, a noteworthy incident; something extraordinary:

    The daring rescue was one for the book.

  14. throw the book at, Informal.
    1. to sentence (an offender, lawbreaker, etc.) to the maximum penalties for all charges against that person.
    2. to punish or chide severely.
  15. without book,
    1. from memory.
    2. without authority:

      to punish without book.

  16. write the book, to be the prototype, originator, leader, etc., of:

    So far as investment banking is concerned, they wrote the book.

More idioms and phrases containing 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 .
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Example Sentences

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.

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.

From 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.

From Fortune

On the other side, in March everyone who booked a trip cancelled it.

From 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.

Yet this, in the end, is a book from which one emerges sad, gloomy, disenchanted, at least if we agree to take it seriously.

Submission is less a novel of ideas than a political book, and of the most subversive kind.

Her latest book, Heretic: The Case for a Muslim Reformation, will be published in April by HarperCollins.

At some point during his busy schedule, Israel found the time to write a book, titled The Global War on Morris.

My publisher had asked, “If you wanted to write another book, what would you want to write about?”

The supernaturalist alleges that religion was revealed to man by God, and that the form of this revelation is a sacred book.

But Mrs. Dodd, the present vicar's wife, retained the precious prerogative of choosing the book to be read at the monthly Dorcas.

A small book, bound in full purple calf, lay half hidden in a nest of fine tissue paper on the dressing-table.

She did not need a great cook-book; She knew how much and what it took To make things good and sweet and light.

Again the sallow fingers began to play with the book-covers, passing from one to another, but always slowly and gently.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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