- a variation of catalog.
catalogue
Britishnoun
-
a complete, usually alphabetical list of items, often with notes giving details
-
a book, usually illustrated, containing details of items for sale, esp as used by mail-order companies
-
a list of all the books or resources of a library
-
a publication issued by a university, college, etc, listing courses offered, regulations, services, etc
-
a list of wool lots prepared for auction
verb
-
to compile a catalogue of (a library)
-
to add (books, items, etc) to an existing catalogue
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of catalogue
C15: from Late Latin catalogus, from Greek katalogos, from katalegein to list, from kata- completely + legein to collect
Explanation
A catalogue is a list of things. Those glossy booklets from your favorite clothing shops that fill your mailbox are catalogues, and so is that online list you consult to find a book at the library. A catalogue — also spelled catalog — can be a list of anything, arranged in some order, and when you list things, you catalogue them. If you're particularly peeved at your brother, you might catalogue for him every annoying thing he's done lately. If you've ever worked in a library, you may have been assigned to catalogue new books, or, at your office, you might catalogue all the printers, listing the make and model of each one.
Vocabulary lists containing catalogue
Break It Down: Cata
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Latin Love, Vol II: cadere
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Churchill's "Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat" speech (1940)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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 had my notebook open beside me, ready to catalogue the toast’s faults.
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026
The first step is to create a catalogue of our wants - we're doing all right for Senegal, but our Tunisia page is looking particularly weak.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
“However artists are not simply catalogue assets, and innovation cannot be used to override artists’ rights.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
"This enabled us to get enough specific locality information to prepare a Fossil Record Form and to scientifically catalogue the fossil," Daphne says.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 12, 2026
The members went street by street to catalogue the number of houses boarded up, infected, and open.
From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy
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.
