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• Dewey Decimal System
  Dewey Decimal System

  noun

  a frequently used system of library book classification and arrangement with ten main subject classes
• Dewey decimal system
  Dewey decimal system

  A system used in libraries for the classification of books and other publications. It uses the numbers 000 to 999 to cover the general fields of knowledge and subdivides each field by the use of decimals and letters. Named after its inventor, Melvil Dewey.

Dewey Decimal System

British  

/ ˈdjuːɪ /

noun

1. Also called: decimal classification.   DDS.  a frequently used system of library book classification and arrangement with ten main subject classes

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Dewey decimal system Cultural  

1. A system used in libraries for the classification of books and other publications. It uses the numbers 000 to 999 to cover the general fields of knowledge and subdivides each field by the use of decimals and letters. Named after its inventor, Melvil Dewey.

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Etymology

Origin of Dewey Decimal System

C19: named after Melvil Dewey (1851–1931), US educator who invented the system

Example Sentences

In my own library visits I'd also frequently wind up with something from a different place in the Dewey decimal system too.

From Salon • Jun. 3, 2023

Hummel says, “I know librarians who organize their home libraries by the Dewey decimal system, but I am not one of them. That said, I do have my books organized quite intentionally by topic.”

From Seattle Times • Nov. 3, 2022

Think of the Dewey decimal system in a library.

From Salon • Sep. 1, 2018

For instance, after years of shelving books as a volunteer at a local library, K.C.’s parahippocampus learned the Dewey decimal system, even though he had no idea why he knew it.

From Slate • Apr. 7, 2014

A gangly seventh grader, a foot taller than any of her competitors, Marjory Muldauer had memorized the ten categories of the Dewey decimal system before she entered preschool.

From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein