a style of binding used mainly for paperback books, where the backs of the gathered sections are trimmed and inserted into a cover along with adhesive to hold the pages and cover together
Also called: perfect binding
perfect binding in American English
noun
Bookbinding
a technique for binding books by a machine that cuts off the backs of the sections and glues the leaves to a cloth or paper backing
Also called: adhesive binding
Derived forms
perfect-bound
adjective
Word origin
[1925–30]This word is first recorded in the period 1925–30. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: Nazi, distinctive feature, gimmick, off-line, runout