bookcase

American

[book-keys] / ˈbʊkˌkeɪs /

noun

a set of shelves for books.

bookcase British

/ ˈbʊkˌkeɪs /

noun

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

"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

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"I brought one bookcase down to the void deck in the middle of the night. I was concerned about whether people would catch me doing something I was 'not supposed' to be doing."

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

His two youngest girls play, in a discarded bookcase – the nearest they have to a dolls house.

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

In its Old Hollywood heyday, it once featured a secret casino accessed by hidden doors; the casino has since been removed, but the hidden door and hallway, found through a rotating bookcase, remain.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 16, 2025

Madge says she doesn’t have a book, and Mr. Fabian sends her to the bookcase.

From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari

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