book
Americannoun
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books
plural
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a handwritten or printed work of fiction or nonfiction, usually on sheets of paper fastened or bound together within covers.
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a work of fiction or nonfiction in an electronic format.
Your child can listen to or read the book online.
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a number of sheets of blank or ruled paper bound together for writing, recording business transactions, etc.
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a division of a literary work, especially one of the larger divisions.
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the Book, the Bible.
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Music. the text or libretto of an opera, operetta, or musical.
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books. books of account.
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Jazz. the total repertoire of a band.
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a script or story for a play.
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a record of bets, as on a horse race.
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Cards. the number of basic tricks or cards that must be taken before any trick or card counts in the score.
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a set or packet of tickets, checks, stamps, matches, etc., bound together like a book.
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anything that serves for the recording of facts or events.
The petrified tree was a book of Nature.
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Sports. a collection of facts and information about the usual playing habits, weaknesses, methods, etc., of an opposing team or player, especially in baseball.
The White Sox book on Mickey Mantle cautioned pitchers to keep the ball fast and high.
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Stock Exchange.
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the customers served by each registered representative in a brokerage house.
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a loose-leaf binder kept by a specialist to record orders to buy and sell stock at specified prices.
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a pile or package of leaves, as of tobacco.
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Mineralogy. a thick block or crystal of mica.
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a magazine: used especially in magazine publishing.
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Slang. bookmaker.
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the book,
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a set of rules, conventions, or standards.
The solution was not according to the book but it served the purpose.
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the telephone book.
I've looked him up, but he's not in the book.
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verb (used with object)
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books,
present (3rd person singular)
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booked,
past participle, past
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booking
present participle
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to enter in a book or list; record; register.
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to reserve or make a reservation for (a hotel room, passage on a ship, etc.).
We booked a table at our favorite restaurant.
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to register or list (a person) for a place, transportation, appointment, etc..
The travel agent booked us for next week's cruise.
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to engage for one or more performances.
- Antonyms:
- cancel
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to enter an official charge against (an arrested suspect) on a police register.
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to act as a bookmaker for (a bettor, bet, or sum of money).
The Philadelphia syndicate books 25 million dollars a year on horse racing.
verb (used without object)
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books,
present (3rd person singular)
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booked,
past participle, past
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booking
present participle
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to register one's name.
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to engage a place, services, etc.
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Slang.
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to study hard, as a student before an exam.
He left the party early to book.
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to leave; depart.
I'm bored with this party, let's book.
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to work as a bookmaker.
He started a restaurant with money he got from booking.
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adjective
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of or relating to a book or books.
the book department;
a book salesman.
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derived or learned from or based on books.
a book knowledge of sailing.
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shown by a book of account.
The firm's book profit was $53,680.
verb phrase
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book out to sign out, as at a job.
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book up to sell out in advance.
The hotel is booked up for the Christmas holidays.
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book in to sign in, as at a job.
idioms
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one for the book / books, a noteworthy incident; something extraordinary.
The daring rescue was one for the book.
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by the book, according to the correct or established form; in the usual manner.
an unimaginative individual who does everything by the book.
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without book,
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from memory.
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without authority.
to punish without book.
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in one's good books, in favor; liked by someone.
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like a book, completely; thoroughly.
She knew the area like a book.
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throw the book at,
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to sentence (an offender, lawbreaker, etc.) to the maximum penalties for all charges against that person.
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to punish or chide severely.
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in one's book, in one's personal judgment or opinion.
In my book, he's not to be trusted.
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off the books, done or performed for cash or without keeping full business records: especially as a way to avoid paying income tax, employment benefits, etc..
Much of his work as a night watchman is done off the books.
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book it, see book it.
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make book,
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to accept or place the bets of others, as on horse races, especially as a business.
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to wager; bet.
You can make book on it that he won't arrive in time.
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in one's bad books, out of favor; disliked by someone.
He's in the boss's bad books.
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write the book, to be the prototype, originator, leader, etc., of.
So far as investment banking is concerned, they wrote the book.
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close the books, to balance accounts at the end of an accounting period; settle accounts.
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bring to book, to call to account; bring to justice.
Someday he will be brought to book for his misdeeds.
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on the books, entered in a list or record.
He claims to have graduated from Harvard, but his name is not on the books.
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cook the books, cook
noun
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a number of printed or written pages bound together along one edge and usually protected by thick paper or stiff pasteboard covers See also hardback paperback
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a written work or composition, such as a novel, technical manual, or dictionary
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( as modifier )
the book trade
book reviews
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( in combination )
bookseller
bookshop
bookshelf
bookrack
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a number of blank or ruled sheets of paper bound together, used to record lessons, keep accounts, etc
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(plural) a record of the transactions of a business or society
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the script of a play or the libretto of an opera, musical, etc
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a major division of a written composition, as of a long novel or of the Bible
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a number of tickets, sheets, stamps, etc, fastened together along one edge
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bookmaking a record of the bets made on a horse race or other event
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(in card games) the number of tricks that must be taken by a side or player before any trick has a scoring value
in bridge, six of the 13 tricks form the book
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strict or rigid regulations, rules, or standards (esp in the phrases according to the book, by the book )
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a source of knowledge or authority
the book of life
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a telephone directory (in the phrase in the book )
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(sometimes capital) the Bible
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a person or subject that is thoroughly understood
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a person or subject that is unknown or beyond comprehension
chemistry is a closed book to him
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to reprimand or require (someone) to give an explanation of his conduct
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to bring to a definite end
we have closed the book on apartheid
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accounting to balance accounts in order to prepare a statement or report
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informal to make fraudulent alterations to business or other accounts
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according to my view of things
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regarded by someone with disfavour
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regarded by someone with favour
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to keep written records of the finances of a business or other enterprise
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enrolled as a member
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registered or recorded
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to understand a person, or his motives, character, etc, thoroughly and clearly
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to charge with every relevant offence
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to inflict the most severe punishment on
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verb
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to reserve (a place, passage, etc) or engage the services of (a performer, driver, etc) in advance
to book a flight
to book a band
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(tr) to take the name and address of (a person guilty of a minor offence) with a view to bringing a prosecution
he was booked for ignoring a traffic signal
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(tr) (of a football referee) to take the name of (a player) who grossly infringes the rules while playing, two such acts resulting in the player's dismissal from the field
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archaic (tr) to record in a book
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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booksimple
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bookssimple
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have bookedperfect
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has bookedperfect
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am bookingprogressive
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are bookingprogressive
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is bookingprogressive
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have been bookingperfect progressive
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has been bookingperfect progressive
Past
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bookedsimple
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had bookedperfect
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was bookingprogressive
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were bookingprogressive
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had been bookingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of book
First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English bōc; cognate with Dutch boek, Old Norse bōk, German Buch; akin to Gothic boka “letter (of the alphabet)” and not of known relation to beech, as is often assumed
Explanation
For a lot of kids, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" was their first experience of really falling in love with a book, or a collection of printed words or illustrations bound together. Book is a widely-known word with a whole lot of less well-known meanings. The noun book can refer to a bunch of pages bound together, as in a book you read, but also a book of tickets or stamps, a section of a larger work of literature (like a book of the Bible), or the written script of a stage play. Book can also be a verb meaning "to record information about a criminal suspect" or "to reserve," which you could use to say, "Let's book a room at the nicest hotel in Maui this winter."
Vocabulary lists containing book
Book Words for Book Worms
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Theater - Introductory
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Theater - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“The currency of success is shifting under our feet,” says Grant, the author of a forthcoming book, “Vibe: The Secrets of Strong Connections in a Lonely World.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
Buckingham Palace released a rare statement on Wednesday in response to claims made by Earl Spencer in his book Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, which is due to be published on Tuesday.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
“It used to be a fairly stiff competition for the worst chief of staff in history,” according to Chris Whipple, author of “The Gatekeepers,” the definitive book on the subject, “but Meadows absolutely owns it.”
From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026
Earl Spencer has told the BBC writing his book about sister Princess Diana, which has made headlines for its criticism of King Charles, was his "duty...as an eyewitness to history".
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
He’d read every book in the library shelf, twice.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
"I couldn't send her money to buy books and because of that she didn't speak to me on the phone for eight days," Ramabai said.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
The florist used to frequent the library in high school, checking out books and watching shows.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
Skyhorse has published a long list of other books written by Kennedy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
"I think it's pretty clear that voluntary commitments and announcements are always going to be insufficient and we actually do need mandatory public policies on the books," she told AFP.
From Barron's
Who would dust the human books above his bed?
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Blotted his copybook by getting booked for diving.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
As of Sept. 16, all seats are booked through the end of the year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
“He looked at me and said, ‘Stay booked, kid.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
Even those who have already booked a flight should keep tracking it: If the fare does happen to drop, the airline could issue a voucher for the difference.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
They booked a hotel in Shadbush Crossing so they wouldn’t get snowed out...and now they’re snowed in.
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
Smile broke up in the spring of 1970 but the group still had a booking to fulfill at Truro City Hall, now known as the Hall for Cornwall.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Dell’s stock rose 12%, also booking a record close, the data showed.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
Shares of the AI-powered corporate travel booking platform sank after revealing higher operating costs and widening losses, but Wall Street says that isn’t the full story.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
Shares of Meta Platforms rose 6.6% to $653.69 after it launched Muse, a personal AI agent designed to automate routine tasks such as booking appointments, filling out forms and monitoring home-security camera feeds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
I put on my coat and slip out of my room, booking it down the hall to the double doors and down the elevator to the east lobby.
From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
