Chapbook

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A small book, usually made from a single sheet, folded several times, containing poems, ballads or religious tracts.

    "1849 Notices of Fugitive Tracts: And Chap-books Printed at Aldermary Churchyard, Bow Churchyard, Etc This was, till within the last few years, a favourite chapbook in the north of England."

Example

More examples

"1849 Notices of Fugitive Tracts: And Chap-books Printed at Aldermary Churchyard, Bow Churchyard, Etc This was, till within the last few years, a favourite chapbook in the north of England."

Etymology

Formerly sold by chapmen; see the etymology there, and book.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.