handbook

[hand-book]

noun

1. a book of instruction or guidance, as for an occupation; manual.

   a handbook of radio.

2. a guidebook for travelers.

   a handbook of Italy.

3. a reference book in a particular field.

   a medical handbook.

4. a scholarly book on a specific subject, often consisting of separate essays or articles.

   a handbook of lectures on criticism.

handbook

/ ˈhændˌbʊk /

noun

1. a reference book listing brief facts on a subject or place or directions for maintenance or repair, as of a car

   a tourists' handbook

Word History and Origins

Origin of handbook¹

Translation of German Handbuch

Example Sentences

What use is an employee handbook, or a memo from the CEO, if everyone can’t see it?

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He called deployment a “page right out of the dictator’s handbook” intended to create the conditions of unrest necessary to then send in the National Guard.

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I feel like if you and I got together, I could write the handbook, and we just hand it out to all the new celebs.

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To diagnose autism, clinicians often make calls based on criteria in a handbook called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM.

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The 36-year-old also sold merchandise at concerts, helped with a handbook on Alaskan farming and started doing graphic design, largely for other federal workers starting their own businesses.

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Related Words

• directory 
• guidebook 
• manual 
• text 
• textbook