book group noun

A group of people who agree to read a particular book and then meet to discuss it (also called reading group)

bookˈ-hand noun (historical)

One of the writing styles used to produce copies of books in manuscript before the invention of printing

bookˈ-holder noun

A prompter in the theatre

booking clerk noun

A person who sells tickets

booking hall noun

booking office noun

An office where reservations are made or tickets sold

bookˈkeeper noun

bookˈkeeping noun

1. The keeping of accounts in a regular and systematic manner
2. The record of the financial transactions of a business

bookˈland noun

(OE bōcland) land taken from the folcland or common land, and granted by bōc or written charter to a private owner

bookˈ-learned /-lûrnˈid/ adjective

bookˈ-learning noun

Learning acquired from books, as opposed to practical knowledge

bookˈlore (Scot bookˈ-lear or buikˈ-lear /-lār/) noun

1. Book-learning
2. Bibliographical lore

bookˈlouse noun (pl bookˈlice)

A wingless insect of the order Psocoptera, which damages books

book lung noun

The respiratory organ in spiders and other arachnids, formed of fine membranes like the leaves of a book

bookˈmaker noun

1. A person who accepts bets at racecourses, etc, and pays out the winnings
2. A person who makes up books from the writings of others, a compiler

bookˈmaking noun

bookˈman noun

A scholar, student

bookˈmark noun

1. A (decorative) strip of leather, fabric, paper, etc, or other object, for marking a particular opening or one's current place in a book (also bookˈmarker)
2. An electronic equivalent in the form of a record of the location of the Internet site, web page, etc

transitive verb

To make an electronic record of

bookˈ-mate noun (Shakespeare)

A companion in study, a schoolfellow

bookˈ-mindedness noun

Habitual direction of the mind towards books

bookˈmobile noun (N American)

A mobile library

bookˈ-muslin noun

Muslin used in bookbinding

bookˈ-oath noun (Shakespeare)

An oath made on the Book or Bible

Book of Changes noun

The I Ching

book of hours see under hour

Book of Life noun

A personal identity document formerly used in South Africa

book of words noun (informal)

Directions for use

bookˈplate noun

A label usually pasted inside the cover of a book, bearing the owner's name or other distinguishing information

bookˈ-post noun

A former name for Media Mail (see under medium)

book price or book value noun

The officially recorded value, not necessarily the market value, of a commodity, etc

bookˈrest noun

A support for a book, a bookstand

bookˈ-scorpion noun

A scorpion-like arachnid found in libraries, probably feeding on booklice

bookˈseller noun

1. A person who sells books
2. Formerly a publisher

bookˈselling noun

bookˈshelf noun

A shelf for books

bookˈshop noun

A shop where books are sold

bookˈstall noun

A stall or stand where books are sold

bookˈstand noun

1. A bookstall
2. A stand or support for holding up a book in reading

bookˈstore noun (N American)

A bookshop

book token noun

A voucher to be exchanged for books of a stated price, given as a gift

book trade noun

The trade of dealing in books

book value see book price above.

bookˈwork noun

1. Study from books, theoretical as opposed to practical work
2. Work on account books, etc

bookˈworm noun

1. A grub that eats holes in books, esp a beetle larva (genus Anobium)
2. A person who is devoted to reading

be on the books

1. To have one's name on an official list
2. To be a member or client

book in

1. To reserve a place or room
2. To register at a hotel

book of original (or prime) entry (bookkeeping)

A book in which the first record of transactions is made, eg before entry in a ledger

book out

To leave a hotel formally, by settling one's bill, handing in one's key, etc

book through

To book as a whole (a journey to be made in parts)

bring to book

To bring to account

by the book

Strictly according to the rules

closed book

A person or subject that is not known or understood at all (cf open book below)

close the book(s) on

To bring to a definite conclusion

get one's books

To be dismissed

in anyone's book

Indeed, without any doubt

in my (etc) book

In my (etc) view

in someone's good (or bad) books

Favourably (or unfavourably) regarded by someone

open book

A person or subject that is well-known or clearly understood (cf closed book above)

read (someone) like a book

To understand thoroughly (usu a person's character or motives)

suit one's book

To be agreeable to or favourable to one

take a leaf out of someone's book

To profit by someone's example

talk like a book

To talk pedantically, or with precision and readiness

throw the book at (informal)

1. To administer a lengthy and detailed reproof to
2. To punish severely

without book

1. From memory
2. Unauthorizedly

read¹ /rēd/

transitive verb (pat and pap read /red/)

1. To look at and comprehend the meaning of written or printed words in
2. To understand as by interpretation of signs
3. To collect the meaning of
4. To go over progressively with silent understanding of symbols or with utterance aloud of words or performance of notes
5. To accept or offer as that which the writer intended
6. To learn from written or printed matter
7. To find recorded
8. To observe the indication of
9. To solve
10. To register, indicate
11. To teach, lecture on
12. To study
13. To impute by inference (as to read a meaning into)
14. To retrieve (data) from a storage device (computing)
15. To advise (archaic; see rede)
16. To make out
17. To interpret
18. To expound
19. To make known (Spenser)
20. To declare
21. To name (Spenser)

intransitive verb

1. To perform the act of reading
2. To practise much reading
3. To study
4. To find mention
5. To give the reader an impression
6. To endure the test of reading
7. To deliver lectures
8. To have a certain wording

noun

1. A spell of reading
2. Reading-matter
3. An opportunity of reading (Scot)
4. Counsel, a saying, an interpretation (Spenser)

adjective /red/

1. Versed in books
2. Learned

readabilˈity /rēd-/ noun

readˈable adjective

1. Legible
2. Easy to read
3. Interesting without being of highest quality

readˈableness noun

readˈably adverb

readˈer noun

1. Someone who reads or reads much
2. A person who reads prayers or passages of scripture, etc at a church service
3. A lecturer, esp a higher grade of university lecturer
4. A proof-corrector
5. A person who reads and reports on manuscripts for a publisher
6. A reading-book
7. A pocketbook (criminal sl)
8. A device that projects a large image of a piece of microfilm onto a screen, for reading
9. A document reader (computing)

readˈership noun

1. The post of reader in a university
2. The total number of readers (of a newspaper, etc)

readˈing adjective

Addicted to reading

noun

1. The action of the verb read
2. Perusal
3. Study of books
4. Public or formal recital, esp of a bill before Parliament (see first, second and third reading below)
5. The actual word or words that may be read in a passage of a text
6. The indication that can be read off from an instrument
7. Matter for reading
8. Lettering
9. An interpretation
10. A performer's conception of the meaning, rendering
11. Knowledge gained from having read books

reader advertisement noun

An advertising feature in a magazine which follows the style of the editorial part of the magazine, often with accompanying photographs or drawings

readers' inquiry card or readers' service card noun

A business reply card bound into a magazine with numbers corresponding to advertised products

readˈ-in noun

Input of data to a computer or storage device

reading age noun

Reading ability calculated as equivalent to the average ability at a certain age

readˈing-book noun

A book of exercises in reading

readˈing-boy noun (printing; obsolete)

A reader's assistant

readˈing-desk noun

1. A desk for holding a book or paper while it is read
2. A lectern

reading group same as book group (see under book).

readˈing-lamp noun

A lamp for reading by

readˈing-machine noun

1. A reader for microfilm
2. A document reader (computing)

reading matter noun

Printed material, eg books, magazines

readˈing-room noun

1. A room for consultation, study or investigation of books in a library
2. A room with papers, periodicals, etc resorted to for reading
3. A proofreaders' room

readˈmē file noun (computing)

A text file supplied with computer software that contains information about the software, such as advice on installation and bugs

readˈ-only adjective (computing)

Of a storage device or file, capable of being read but not altered

readˈ-out noun

1. The output unit of a computer
2. The retrieval of data from a computer
3. Data from a computer, printed or registered on magnetic tape or punched paper tape, or displayed on a screen
4. Data from a radio transmitter

read-write head noun (computing)

In a disk drive, a head that can both retrieve and record data

read-write memory noun (computing)

One that allows retrieval and input of data

first, second and third reading

The three successive formal readings of a bill before parliament, when (in Britain) it is introduced, discussed in general, and reported on by a committee

read between the lines

To detect a meaning not expressed but implied

read in

To transfer data from a storage device into the main memory of a computer

read into

To find in a person's writing, words, behaviour, etc (meanings which are not overtly stated and may not have been intended)

read off

To take as a reading from an instrument

read (oneself) in

In the Church of England, to enter into possession of a benefice by reading the Thirty-nine Articles

read out

1. To read aloud
2. To retrieve data from a computer, etc
3. To expel from a political party or a society (chiefly N American)

read someone's mind

To guess accurately what someone is thinking

read up

To amass knowledge of by reading

take as read /red/

1. To presume
2. To understand to be, and accept as, true