notebook

American  

[noht-book] / ˈnoʊtˌbʊk /

noun

1. a book of notes.

   They checked the sergeant's notebook for clues to his whereabouts.

2. a book or binder of blank, often ruled, pages on which to write, especially one used by students to take notes in class.

3. a book in which promissory notes are entered, registered, recorded, etc.

4. Digital Technology. a small, lightweight laptop computer.

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notebook British  

/ ˈnəʊtˌbʊk /

noun

1. a book for recording notes or memoranda

2. a book for registering promissory notes

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Etymology

Origin of notebook

First recorded in 1570–80; note + book

Explanation

A notebook is a blank book that you can write in. Students often carry notebooks, where they can take notes (and doodle). The pages in a notebook are often lined, so that you can write neatly. You might keep one for writing to-do lists or thoughts (like a journal), or your notebooks might all be large binders full of class notes and math problems. Notebooks can be bound like books, or with a spiral metal or plastic binding, or consist of loose pages in a three-ring binder. Another, newer kind of notebook is a slim, lightweight laptop computer.

Example Sentences

Choreographer Madeline Hollander closes her red notebook and instructs the dancers to start from the beginning.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

Ava steps away for a moment, giving Deborah an opportunity to reach for her notebook to scribble a thought . . . then it happens.

From Salon • May 29, 2026

The first year after her divorce, she made about $30,000 and tracked every dollar she spent in a notebook.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

Corning makes the glass for notebook computers, desktop monitors, televisions, and other information display applications.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

I mimed the reporter’s self-satisfied tone and fanned myself with an imaginary notebook.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Related Words

• binder
• diary
• journal
• pad