What does "book" mean?
A collection of sheets of paper bound together to hinge at one edge, containing printed or written material, pictures, etc.
Book
/bʊk/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A collection of sheets of paper bound together to hinge at one edge, containing printed or written material, pictures, etc.
- Grammar: book is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: account book, ledger, record, volume.
- Useful contrasts: literary society journal, unbooked, academic journal.
- Usage evidence: He spent the evening reading a book.
How to use "book"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "book" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "book" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "book" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "book" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "book" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "account book" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "book", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A collection of sheets of paper bound together to hinge at one edge, containing printed or written material, pictures, etc.
"Knowing I lou'd my bookes, he furniſhd me / From mine owne Library, with volumes, that / I prize aboue my Dukedome."
- 2 physical objects consisting of a number of pages bound together wordnet
- 3 A long work fit for publication, typically prose, such as a novel or textbook, and typically published as such a bound collection of sheets, but now sometimes electronically as an e-book.
"I have three copies of his first book."
- 4 a number of sheets (ticket or stamps etc.) bound together on one edge wordnet
- 5 A major division of a long work.
"Genesis is the first book of the Bible."
Show 26 more definitions
- 6 a major division of a long written composition wordnet
- 7 A record of betting (from the use of a notebook to record what each person has bet).
"I'm running a book on who is going to win the race."
- 8 a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together) wordnet
- 9 A bookmaker (a person who takes bets on sporting events and similar); bookie; turf accountant. informal
- 10 the sacred writings of the Christian religions wordnet
- 11 A convenient collection, in a form resembling a book, of small paper items for individual use.
"a book of stamps"
- 12 a compilation of the known facts regarding something or someone wordnet
- 13 The script of a musical or opera.
"The guild helps ensure that the ownership and control of the music, lyrics, and book of a show remain in the hands of its authors and composers—not the producers."
- 14 a written version of a play or other dramatic composition; used in preparing for a performance wordnet
- 15 Records of the accounts of a business. plural-normally
- 16 a collection of rules or prescribed standards on the basis of which decisions are made wordnet
- 17 A book award, a recognition for receiving the highest grade in a class (traditionally an actual book, but recently more likely a letter or certificate acknowledging the achievement). colloquial
- 18 a collection of playing cards satisfying the rules of a card game wordnet
- 19 Six tricks taken by one side.
- 20 a record in which commercial accounts are recorded wordnet
- 21 Four of a kind. slang
- 22 A document, held by the referee, of the incidents that happened in a game.
- 23 A list of all players who have been booked (received a warning) in a game. broadly
"Celtic captain Scott Brown joined team-mate Majstorovic in the book and Rangers' John Fleck was also shown a yellow card as an ill-tempered half drew to a close."
- 24 The list of mares that a stallion will breed in a given season.
- 25 A list of the races that a jockey is scheduled to ride in.
- 26 The twenty-sixth Lenormand card.
- 27 Any source of instruction. figuratively
- 28 The accumulated body of knowledge passed down among black pimps. with-definite-article
"The Book is an oral tradition of belief in The Life that has been passed down from player to player from generation to generation."
- 29 A portfolio of one's previous work in the industry. informal
"Getting your book (portfolio) organised is the first step, and knowing both what to include, and what to leave out, is an essential step towards achieving that important agency placement."
- 30 The sum of chess knowledge in the opening or endgame. uncountable
"The opposite-colored bishops endgame is usually a book draw."
- 31 A package of silk. historical
"This machinery was provided with a rotary drum with received upon its periphery the "books" of silk to be operated upon and presented them to travelling, combing, or dressing surfaces. The books were clamped and released automatically by the aid of bars formed with wedges and put in operation by screws […]"
Verb
- 1 To reserve (something) for future use. transitive
"I want to book a hotel room for tomorrow night."
- 2 simple past of bake Northern-England, UK, dialectal, form-of, past
- 3 engage for a performance wordnet
- 4 To write down, to register or record in a book or as in a book. transitive
"They booked that message from the hill."
- 5 record a charge in a police register wordnet
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 To add a name to the list of people who are participating in something. transitive
"I booked a flight to New York."
- 7 arrange for and reserve (something for someone else) in advance wordnet
- 8 To record the name and other details of a suspected offender and the offence for later judicial action. transitive
"The police booked him for driving too fast."
- 9 register in a hotel booker wordnet
- 10 To issue a caution to, usually a yellow card, or a red card if a yellow card has already been issued.
- 11 To travel very fast. intransitive, slang
"He was really booking until he passed the speed trap."
- 12 To record bets as bookmaker.
- 13 To receive the highest grade in a class. transitive
"The top three students had a bet on which one was going to book their intellectual property class."
- 14 To move or leave, often hurriedly and abruptly. intransitive, slang
"He was here earlier, but he booked."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Example
"He spent the evening reading a book."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "book"?
Common synonyms include: account book, ledger, record, volume, accuse, airing.
How do you use "book" in a sentence?
He spent the evening reading a book.
How do you pronounce "book"?
Pronounced /bʊk/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂ǵosder.? Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂g-der.? Proto-Germanic *bōks Proto-West Germanic *bōk Old English bōc Middle English bok English book From Middle English bok, book, from Old English bōc, from Proto-West Germanic *bōk, from Proto-Germanic *bōks. Bookmaker sense by clipping. Cognates Cognate with Scots beuk, buik, buke (“book”), Yola buke (“book”), North Frisian Bok, buk, bök (“book”), Saterland Frisian Bouk (“book”), West Frisian, Dutch boek (“book”), Alemannic German Buech (“book”), Bavarian Buach (“book”), Central Franconian Booch, Buch (“book”), German, Luxembourgish Buch (“book”), German Low German Book (“book”), Limburgish book, Bouk (“book”), Vilamovian büch (“book”), Yiddish בוך (bukh, “book”), Danish bog (“book”), Elfdalian buok (“book”), Faroese, Icelandic bók (“book”), Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish bok (“book”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English booken, boken, from Old English bōcian, ġebōcian, from the noun (see above).
Etymology 3
From Middle English book, bok, from Old English bōc, from Proto-Germanic *bōk, first and third person singular indicative past tense of Proto-Germanic *bakaną (“to bake”).
Etymology 4
An Americanized form of German Buch, or alternatively a variant of Buck.