book

Etymology 1

From Middle English bok, book, from Old English bōc, from Proto-West Germanic *bōk, from Proto-Germanic *bōks. Eclipsed non-native Middle English livret, lyveret (“book, booklet”) from Old French livret (“book, booklet”). Bookmaker sense by clipping.

noun

1. A collection of sheets of paper bound together to hinge at one edge, containing printed or written material, pictures, etc.
   I repeat: it suffices that a book be possible for it to exist. Only the impossible is excluded. For example: no book can be a ladder, although no doubt there are books which discuss and negate and demonstrate this possibility and others whose structure corresponds to that of a ladder. 1962, Luis Borges, translated by James East Irby, The Library of Babel
   I can be anything. Take a look! It's in a book: A reading rainbow. 1983, Steve Horelick et al., Reading Rainbow
   Trefusis's quarters could be described in one word. Books. Books and books and books. And then, just when an observer might be lured into thinking that that must be it, more books... Trefusis himself was highly dismissive of them. ‘Waste of trees,’ he had once said. ‘Stupid, ugly, clumsy, heavy things. The sooner technology comes up with a reliable alternative the better... The world is so fond of saying that books should be “treated with respect”. But when are we told that words should be treated with respect?’ 1991, Stephen Fry, The Liar, page 51
   She opened the book to page 37 and began to read aloud.
   He was frustrated because he couldn't find anything about dinosaurs in the book.
2. 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.
   “I would never read a book,” he once told an interviewer. “I don’t want to say no book is ever worth reading, but I actually do believe something pretty close to that.” 2022-12-06, Stephen Marche, quoting Sam Bankman-Fried, “The College Essay Is Dead”, in The Atlantic
3. A major division of a long work.
   Genesis is the first book of the Bible.
   Many readers find the first book of A Tale of Two Cities to be confusing.
4. (gambling) 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.
5. (informal) A bookmaker (a person who takes bets on sporting events and similar); bookie; turf accountant.
6. A convenient collection, in a form resembling a book, of small paper items for individual use.
   a book of stamps
   a book of raffle tickets
7. (theater) 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. 2010, David Baskerville, Tim Baskerville, Music Business Handbook and Career Guide, page 172
8. (usually in the plural) Records of the accounts of a business.
9. (law, colloquial) 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).
10. (whist) Six tricks taken by one side.
11. (poker slang) Four of a kind.
12. (sports) A document, held by the referee, of the incidents happened in the game.
13. (sports, by extension) A list of all players who have been booked (received a warning) in a game.
    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. March 2, 2011, Andy Campbell, “Celtic 1 - 0 Rangers”, in BBC
14. (cartomancy) The twenty-sixth Lenormand card.
15. (figurative) Any source of instruction.
16. (with "the") The accumulated body of knowledge passed down among black pimps.
    The Book is an oral tradition of belief in The Life that has been passed down from player to player from generation to generation. 1974, Adrienne Lanier Seward, The Black Pimp as a Folk Hero, page 11
    On the other hand The Book is an oral tradition containing the rules and principles to be adopted by a pimp who wishes to be a player. 1994, Antiquarian Book Monthly, volume 21, page 36
17. (advertising, informal) A portfolio of one's previous work in the industry.
    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. 2017, Nik Mahon, Basics Advertising 02: Art Direction, page 8
    Your portfolio — your book — has to be killer. Idea Industry (page 27)
18. (chess, uncountable) The sum of chess knowledge in the opening or endgame.
    The opposite-colored bishops endgame is usually a book draw.
    A book move
    out of book
    White to move and win. How can he do it? The BK plans a march to h8, eating the f4 pawn en route, for a book draw. 2018-04-06, Leonard Barden, “Chess: Schoolboy Vincent Keymer secures shock triumph at Grenke Open”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 2023-01-12
    This seems certain to simplify into a battle between White's king, rook and two pawns against Black's king and rook. In some cases a book draw is possible. But a book win is more likely. 2020, Andrew Soltis, How to Swindle in Chess, Batsford Books

Etymology 2

From Middle English booken, boken, from Old English bōcian, ġebōcian, from the noun (see above).

verb

1. (transitive) To reserve (something) for future use.
   I want to book a hotel room for tomorrow night.
   I can book tickets for the concert next week.
   I haven't booked, so I don't have a clue as to whether the service will be busy or not. Supposedly, reservations are compulsory, but I want to find out what would happen if you just turn up. December 2 2020, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 68
2. (transitive) To write down, to register or record in a book or as in a book.
   They booked that message from the hill
3. (transitive) To add a name to the list of people who are participating in something.
   I booked a flight to New York.
4. (law enforcement, transitive) To record the name and other details of a suspected offender and the offence for later judicial action.
   The police booked him for driving too fast.
5. (sports) To issue a caution to, usually a yellow card, or a red card if a yellow card has already been issued.
6. (intransitive, slang) To travel very fast.
   He was really booking, until he passed the speed trap.
7. To record bets as bookmaker.
8. (transitive, law student slang) To receive the highest grade in a class.
   The top three students had a bet on which one was going to book their intellectual property class.
9. (intransitive, slang) To leave.
   He was here earlier, but he booked.

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”).

verb

1. (UK dialectal, Northern England) simple past of bake