bookshelf

American  

[book-shelf] / ˈbʊkˌʃɛlf /

noun

• bookshelves
  plural

1. a shelf for holding books, especially one of several shelves in a bookcase.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bookshelves
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bookshelf

First recorded in 1810–20; book + shelf

Compare meaning

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

• bookshelf vs. bookcase

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bookshelf bookshelves

Now the child has her own bookshelf in their shared household - "and one whole shelf is for her Dolly books".

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

The “living room” was furnished with what appeared to be a bookshelf, plants, a coffee table, an armchair, a desk chair and even paintings on the walls.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

Miranda’s iPhone and MacBook sit on a bookshelf, mute and unyielding, like storage lockers with lost keys.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026

Upon entering the property, guests are greeted with an expansive living room that comes complete with a built-in bookshelf and a chic stone fireplace.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 21, 2026

I pick one of Teddy’s from the bookshelf.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

What was it about O’Rourke’s bulging bookshelves that got Kilmeade so shirty?

From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026

Hundreds of football fans gathered beneath the towering bookshelves of Tehran Book Garden on Sunday night to watch Iran take on Belgium in the World Cup.

From Barron's ● Jun. 21, 2026

Photographers began to notice that her bookshelves were swelling with classics and that Monroe could discuss them with fluency.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026

The bookshelves in the room were a rich mix of cookbooks and psychology books.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2026

There is a forest of such trees, carefully filed on his bookshelves.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern