buk n. & v. --n. 1 a a
written or printed
work consisting of pages glued or
sewn together along one side and bound in covers. b a
literary composition intended for publication (is
working on
her book). 2 a bound set of
blank sheets for
writing or
keeping records
in. 3 a set of tickets, stamps, matches, cheques, samples of
cloth,
etc., bound up together. 4 (in pl.) a set of records or accounts. 5 a main
division of a literary work, or of
the Bible (the Book of Deuteronomy). 6 (in full book of words) a
libretto,
script of a
play, etc. 7 colloq. a
magazine. 8 a
telephone directory (his number's in the book). 9 a
record of bets
made and
money paid out at a race
meeting by a
bookmaker. 10 a set of
six tricks collected together in a card-game. 11 an
imaginary record or list (the book of life). --v. 1 tr. a
engage (a
seat etc.) in
advance;
make a
reservation of. b engage (a
guest,
supporter, etc.) for
some occasion. 2 tr. a
take the
personal details of (an offender or rule-breaker). b
enter in a book or list. 3 tr.
issue a
railway etc.
ticket to. 4 intr. make a reservation (no
need to book). øbook
club a
society which sells
its members selected books on
special terms. book-end a usu.
ornamental prop used to
keep a row of books
upright. book in
esp.
Brit.
register one's
arrival at a
hotel etc. book
learning mere
theory. book-plate a
decorative label stuck in the
front of a book
bearing the owner's
name. book-rest an adjustable
support for an
open book on a
table. book
token Brit. a
voucher which can be exchanged for books to a specified
value. book up 1
buy tickets in advance for a
theatre,
concert,
holiday, etc. 2 (as booked up)
with all places
reserved. book value the value of a
commodity as entered in a firm's books (opp.
market value).
bring to book
call to
account.
closed (or sealed) book a
subject of which one is
ignorant. go by the book
proceed according to the rules. the
good Book the Bible. in a person's
bad (or good) books in
disfavour (or favour) with a
person. in my book in my
opinion. make a book take bets and pay out winnings at a race meeting.
not in the book disallowed. on the books contained in a list of members etc. suits my book is
convenient to
me. take a
leaf out of a person's book
imitate a person.
throw the book at colloq.
charge or
punish to the
utmost. [OE boc, bocian, f. Gmc, usu. taken to be rel. to
BEECH (the bark of which
was used for writing on)]