nonbook

American  

[non-book] / ˈnɒnˌbʊk /

noun

1. a book without artistic or literary merit or substance, especially one that has been developed primarily to exploit a fad or make a profit quickly.

   After the very public spectacle, several nonbooks quickly appeared, filled with psychological claptrap attempting to explain the event.

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adjective

1. of or relating to a book without artistic or literary merit.

2. relating to or indicating what is not a book.

   pens and other nonbook items for sale in the bookstore.

3. Library Science. relating to or indicating a holding other than a book, as a DVD, map, or art print.

   For a small rural library, their nonbook collection was surprisingly large.

Etymology

Origin of nonbook

First recorded in 1925–30; nonbook def. 1 was first recorded in 1960–65; non- + book

Example Sentences

And while books are the most obvious casualty, bookstore staff are struggling to obtain nonbook items as well.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 4, 2021

As she did in Silver Spring, she expects to stock plenty of nonbook items.

From Washington Post • Feb. 21, 2019

Analysts and investors have taken Mr. Boire’s appointment as a sign that the company will continue to expand and emphasize its nonbook merchandise.

From New York Times • Dec. 3, 2015

Publishers have stocked books in nonbook retailers for decades — a coffee-table book in the home department, a novelty book in Urban Outfitters.

From New York Times • Feb. 28, 2011

This nonbook is not a brazen, word-for-word theft, Domecq insists, but rather the best piece of descriptive criticism ever penned on Dante's masterpiece, since it is an exact replica of the original.

From Time Magazine Archive