book
buuk
Book (noun) means a set of printed or written pages bound together, meant to be read. Example: “She finished the whole book in a single weekend.”
noun
1
A set of printed or written pages bound together, meant to be read.
"She finished the whole book in a single weekend."
"He borrowed three books from the library."
"My little sister likes to read a book before she goes to sleep."
2
A record of a business's financial transactions (usually plural: "the books").
"The accountant went through the books before filing the tax return."
"The owner keeps the books up to date so the shop stays out of trouble."
"An auditor checked the books and found a small mistake in the totals."
3
A person or organization that takes bets on the outcome of events; short for bookmaker.
"He placed his bet with a book near the racetrack."
"The book offered better odds than any of its rivals on the final race."
"He owed money to the book after a bad weekend of betting."
verb
1
To arrange or reserve something in advance.
"We booked a table for four at eight o'clock."
"She booked her flight home three months early."
"I need to book a hotel room before the summer prices go up."
2
To formally record a suspect's details after an arrest.
"The officer booked him at the station on suspicion of theft."
"After the arrest, the sergeant booked the man and took his fingerprints."
"Officers booked two suspects at the station and placed them in separate cells."
3
To give a player an official caution, typically shown with a card (in football/soccer).
"The midfielder was booked for a late tackle."
"The referee booked the striker for arguing about the decision."
"Two defenders were booked in the first half for rough challenges."
How to use book
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA bound set of written pages to read, or, as a verb, to reserve something in advance.
Common mistake
"Cook the books" (falsify financial records) is often confused with simply "keeping the books" (doing normal accounting) — they mean very different things.
Common pairings
book a table
book a flight
book someone in
cook the books
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Word forms
- Plural
- books
- Third person singular
- books
- Past tense
- booked
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She finished the whole _____ in a single weekend.
Etymology
From Old English boc, ultimately from Proto-Germanic bōks, thought to be related to "beech" — early runic writing may have been carved onto beechwood tablets.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for book
See all rhymes for book →Frequently asked questions
What does “book” mean?
The word “book” means a set of printed or written pages bound together, meant to be read. In plain terms, a bound set of written pages to read, or, as a verb, to reserve something in advance.
How do you pronounce “book”?
“Book” is pronounced buuk (/bʊk/ in IPA).
How do you use “book” in a sentence?
Here is “book” used in a sentence: “She finished the whole book in a single weekend.”
What part of speech is “book”?
Depending on how it is used, “book” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “book” come from?
The word “book” comes from Old English. From Old English boc, ultimately from Proto-Germanic bōks, thought to be related to "beech" — early runic writing may have been carved onto beechwood tablets.
Is “book” a common word?
“Book” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “book” have?
“Book” has 6 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a set of printed or written pages bound together, meant to be read.
What is the difference between a book and a novel?
A book is the physical or digital object: pages bound together to be read. A novel is a type of content, namely a long work of fiction. Every printed novel is a book, but many books are not novels, since they may be biographies, cookbooks, textbooks, or poetry collections.
What are the types of books?
The broadest split is fiction, such as novels and short stories, versus non-fiction, such as biography, history, and reference. Books are also grouped by format, including hardback, paperback, audiobook, and ebook, and by audience, such as children's books, textbooks, and academic works.
What is the difference between a book and an ebook?
The reading content can be identical; the difference is the medium. A traditional book is a physical object of printed, bound pages. An ebook is a digital file read on a screen, such as a phone, tablet, or e-reader. An ebook needs no paper and can be carried by the thousand on one device.
What is an example of a book?
A printed novel on a shelf is the classic example, but so are a hardback dictionary, a school textbook, a children's picture book, or a cookbook. Anything made of written or printed pages bound together and meant to be read counts, whatever its subject or size.
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