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paperback

[ pey-per-bak ]
/ ˈpeɪ pərˌbæk /
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noun
a book bound in a flexible paper cover, often a lower-priced edition of a hardcover book.
adjective
(of a book) bound in a flexible paper cover: a paperback edition of Orwell's novel.
of, for, or pertaining to paperbacks: a paperback bookstore.

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QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Also softcover; pa·per·bound [pey-per-bound], /ˈpeɪ pərˌbaʊnd/, softbound (for defs. 1, 2).
Compare hardcover.

Origin of paperback

First recorded in 1895–1900; paper + back1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use paperback in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for paperback

paperback
/ (ˈpeɪpəˌbæk) /

noun
a book or edition with covers made of flexible card, sold relatively cheaplyCompare hardback
adjective Also: paperbound, soft-cover
of or denoting a paperback or publication of paperbacks
verb (tr)
to publish in paperback

Derived forms of paperback

paperbacker, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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