octavo

[ok-tey-voh, -tah-]

noun

plural

octavos 

1. a book size of about 6 × 9 inches (16 × 23 centimeters), determined by printing on sheets folded to form 8 leaves or 16 pages. 8vo, 8°

2. a book of this size.

adjective

1. in octavo.

octavo

/ ɒkˈteɪvəʊ /

noun

1. Often written: 8vo.  8°. Also called: eightvo. a book size resulting from folding a sheet of paper of a specified size to form eight leaves

   demi-octavo

2. a book of this size

3. (formerly) a size of cut paper 8 inches by 5 inches (20.3 cm by 12.7 cm)

Word History and Origins

Origin of octavo¹

First recorded in 1575–85; short for New Latin in octāvō “in an eighth (of a sheet)”

Word History and Origins

Origin of octavo¹

C16: from New Latin phrase in octavo in an eighth (of a whole sheet)

Example Sentences

“Who, indeed, but a woman,” wrote one reviewer, “could have ventured, with the smallest prospect of success, to fill three octavo volumes with the history of a woman’s heart?”

Read more on The Guardian

These books were produced in a handy, pocket-sized octavo format that is still a standard today.

Read more on New York Times

The Hollywood Reporter cover isn’t about getting together an octavo of actresses for a girl talk.

Read more on Salon

Of the octavo de finals, this one is the biggest mismatch on paper.

Read more on New York Times

Franz Kafka wrote in quarto-sized notebooks before trading down to octavo near the end of his life.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• album 
• booklet 
• brochure 
• copy 
• dictionary 
• edition 
• essay 
• fiction 
• magazine 
• manual 
• novel 
• pamphlet 
• paperback 
• publication 
• text 
• textbook 
• tome 
• volume 
• work 
• writing