bookcase

American  

[book-keys] / ˈbʊkˌkeɪs /

noun

1. a set of shelves for books.

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bookcase British  

/ ˈbʊkˌkeɪs /

noun

1. a piece of furniture containing shelves for books, often fitted with glass doors

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Etymology

Origin of bookcase

First recorded in 1720–30; book + case ²

Compare meaning

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

• bookshelf vs. bookcase

Example Sentences

Restoration work was carried out on both the building and its contents, including rewaxing a rare Chippendale bookcase estimated to be worth about £20m.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026

Scanning my bookcase, which contains a few hundred volumes, it occurred to me that none of them would make sense if Sister Albertine hadn’t grown me into a reader.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 15, 2025

Rahaf immediately set up what she called "a shrine" to her sister Sara, with photographs and mementoes, including her watch, carefully laid out on a bookcase.

From BBC • Oct. 2, 2025

A wooden bookcase piled with works of pre-Columbian history, archaeology and artist catalogs sags in the middle.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 30, 2024

Finding nothing, he made his way over to the bookcase and attempted to dig a hole through the carpet.

From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser