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.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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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

Words nearby paperback

papaya, Papeete, papelera, Papen, paper, paperback, paperbark, paperbark maple, paper birch, paperboard, paperboy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use paperback in a sentence

The paperback version of All We Can Save is published July 20.
The Climate Crisis Is a Call to Action. These 5 Steps Helped Me Figure Out How to Be of Use|Katharine Wilkinson|July 19, 2021|Time
Last year, I covered how the rise in Millennial political engagement would shape the country in my book, The Ones We’ve Been Waiting For, which is out in paperback this week.
The 2020 Election Was a Breakthrough Moment For Young Voters|Charlotte Alter|May 18, 2021|Time
Little more than a flying camera with a minimum of storage, communication, power and movement, the sub-kilogram Unicorn-2 is about the size of a soda can, with paperback-size solar panel wings, and costs in the neighborhood of $10,000.
Alba Orbital’s mission to image the Earth every 15 minutes brings in $3.4M seed round|Devin Coldewey|May 13, 2021|TechCrunch
Despite its capacity, the XG is only about the size of a paperback book, which makes it easy to move around.
The most exciting new laptop tech coming in 2021|Stan Horaczek|January 20, 2021|Popular-Science

Here’s one brief passage that we asked her to read — page 7 of the paperback if you want to follow along.
Forget Everything You Know About Your Dog (Ep. 436)|Stephen J. Dubner|October 22, 2020|Freakonomics
Paperback publishers distributed their titles in African-American neighborhoods because it expanded their market base.
How Pulp Fiction Saved Literature|Wendy Smith|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
What had been the greatest asset of the paperback revolution,” observes Rabinowitz, “became its greatest danger.
How Pulp Fiction Saved Literature|Wendy Smith|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
On the back cover of the first paperback edition we get a glimpse of the media buzz.
Living Black & Gay in the ’50s|Alain Mabanckou|December 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Orphans is a true literary relic: a small shapely paperback that is tough to track down, thanks to a limited print run.
Charles D’Ambrosio’s X-Ray Vision Is On Full Display In His New Essay Collection.|Steve Almond|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Knopf has sold more than 400,000 copies, and the book has never been out of print in hardcover or paperback.
‘The Power Broker’ Turns 40: How Robert Caro Wrote a Masterpiece|Scott Porch|September 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The present edition by the University Press of Virginia reproduces the 1957 one, but in convenient paperback form.
Journal and Letters of Philip Vickers Fithian: A Plantation Tutor of the Old Dominion, 1773-1774.|Philip Vickers Fithian
Since 1946 he has been editor of a publishing house specializing in paperback books.
The Secret of the Ninth Planet|Donald Allen Wollheim
He realized that the kid had a paperback book stuck in the waistband of his bangbanger shorts, which was unusual.
Makers|Cory Doctorow
This book is available in both a hardcover and paperback edition.
The Loom of Youth|Alec Waugh

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

paperback

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Origin of paperback

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British Dictionary definitions for paperback

Derived forms of paperback