Book

Book, book, n. a collection of sheets of paper bound together, either printed, written on, or blank: a literary composition: a division of a volume or subject: the Bible: a betting-book, or record of bets made with different people: (fig.) any source of instruction: the libretto of an opera, &c.: (pl.) formal accounts of transactions, as minutes of meetings, records kept of his business by a merchant.—v.t. to write in a book.—ns. Book′-account′, an account of debt or credit in a book; Book′binder, one who binds books; Book′binding, the art or practice of binding or putting the boards on books; Book′-case, a case with shelves for books; Book′-club, an association of persons who buy new books for circulation among themselves; Book′-debt, a debt for articles charged by the seller in his book-account.—adj. Book′ful, full of information gathered from books.—ns. Book′-hold′er, one who holds the book of the play and prompts the actor in the theatre; Book′-hunt′er, one who rejoices in discovering rare books; Book′ing-of′fice, an office where names are booked or tickets are taken.—adj. Book′ish, fond of books: acquainted only with books.—ns. Book′ishness; Book′-keep′ing, the art of keeping accounts in a regular and systematic manner; Book′-land, land taken from the folcland or common land, and granted by bóc or written charter to a private owner; Book′-learn′ing, learning got from books, as opposed to practical knowledge.—adj. Book′less, without books, unlearned.—ns. Book′let, a small book; Book′-mak′er, one who makes up books from the writings of others, a compiler: one who makes a system of bets in such a way that the gains must exceed the losses, entering them in a memorandum book; Book′-mak′ing, the art or practice of compiling books from the writings of others: compilation: systematic betting; Book′-man, a scholar, student; Book′-mark, something placed in a book to mark a particular page or passage; Book′-mate (Shak.), a mate or companion in the study of books: a schoolfellow; Book′-mus′lin, muslin used in bookbinding; Book′-oath (Shak.), an oath made on the Book or Bible; Book′plate, a label usually pasted inside the cover of a book, bearing the owner's name, crest, coat-of-arms, or peculiar device; Book′-post, the department in the Post-office for the transmission of books; Book′seller, one who sells books; Book′selling; Book′shelf, a shelf on which books are placed; Book′shop, a shop where books are sold; Book′-stall, a stall or stand, generally in the open air, where books are sold; Book′-stand, a book-stall: a stand or support for holding up a book when reading; Book′-trade, the trade of dealing in books; Book′worm, a worm or mite that eats holes in books: a hard reader: one who reads without discrimination or profit.—To be upon the books, to have one's name in an official list; To bring to book, to bring to account; To take a leaf out of another's book, to follow the example of some one; To talk like a book, to talk pedantically, or in a preternaturally well-informed manner. [A.S. bóc, a book, the beech; Ger. buche, the beech, buch, a book, because the Teutons first wrote on beechen boards.]