From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbookbook1 /bʊk/ ●●● S1 W1 noun 1 printed pages [countable]TCN a set of printed pages that are held together in a cover so that you can read them I’ve just started reading a book by Graham Greene. a cookery bookbook about/on a book about cats2 to write in [countable]TCNWRITE a set of sheets of paper held together in a cover so that you can write on them a black address book a notebook3 set of things [countable]GROUP OF THINGS a set of things such as stamps, matches, or tickets, held together inside a paper cover a cheque book4 → books5 → by the book6 → a closed book7 → be in somebody’s good/bad books8 → be on the books9 part of a book [countable]TCNPART one of the parts that a very large book such as the Bible is divided intobook of the Book of Isaiah10 → in my book11 → bring somebody to book → statute book, → take a leaf out of somebody’s book at leaf1(2), → read somebody like a book at read1(16), → suit somebody’s book at suit2(5), → a turn-up for the book at turn-up(2), → throw the book at somebody at throw1(26)GRAMMAR: Patterns with book• You read something in a book: I read about him in a book at school.• You say a book about a subject or a book on a subject: I like books about sport. ✗Don’t say: I like books of sport.• A book of essays, poems etc is one that contains several essays, poems etc: It’s a book of interviews with artists.• You say a book by someone: I’m reading a book by John Gray. ✗Don’t say: I’m reading a book of John Gray.COLLOCATIONSverbsread a bookWhat book are you reading at the moment?look through a book (=look at the pages quickly)I looked through the book until I found the right section.write a bookHe’s written several interesting travel books.publish a bookThe book is published by Penguin.a book comes out (=it is published for the first time)Everyone was waiting for the new Harry Potter book to come out.borrow a book (also take out a book British English) (=from a library)You can borrow up to six books from the library.return a book (=to a library)Please return all your books before the end of term.renew a book (=arrange to continue borrowing it from a library)If you need to renew a book, you can do it by phone.book + NOUNa book shop (also book store American English)I got it from that little book shop in the village.a book seller (=a person, shop, or company selling books)High street book sellers are experiencing a drop in sales.a book token British English (=a ticket that you can use to pay for a book)She always bought me book tokens for my birthday.a book review (=an article giving critical opinions of a book)She had a book review published in the student magazine.a book fair (=an event at which publishers and authors show new books)the introduction/preface/foreword to a bookIn the introduction to this book I referred to a conversation between myself and a young student. a section of a bookThe most useful section of the book is the list of suppliers of artists’ materials.phrasesthe cover of a bookHis picture is on the cover of the book. a chapter of a bookThe first chapter of the book is about his childhood. THESAURUStypes of booknovel noun [countable] a book about imaginary people and eventsThe film is based on Nick Hornby’s best-selling novel.a historical novelfiction noun [uncountable] books that describe imaginary people and eventsShe reads a lot of romantic fiction.literature noun [uncountable] novels and plays that are considered to be important works of artI’m studying American literature at university.non-fiction noun [uncountable] books that describe real people and eventsMen tend to prefer non-fiction.science fiction noun [uncountable] books about imaginary events in the future or space travelreference book noun [countable] a book such as a dictionary or encyclopedia, which you look at to find informationtextbook noun [countable] a book about a particular subject that you use in a classroomset book British English, course book British English noun [countable] a book that you have to study as part of your courseguidebook noun [countable] a book telling visitors about a city or countrypicture book noun [countable] a book for children with many pictures in ithardcover/hardback noun [countable] a book that has a hard stiff coverpaperback noun [countable] a book that has a paper coverbiography noun [countable] a book about a real person’s life, written by another personautobiography noun [countable] a book that someone has written about their own liferecipe book/cookery book British English (also cookbook American English) noun [countable] a book that tells you how to cook different meals
Examples from the Corpus
book• I'm reading a book about a little girl who was a slave in 19th century Atlanta.• Eric's reading a book by William Faulkner.• Seth was paging through a book.• She wrote a book of short stories, but it never got published.• a book by Charles Dickens• a book of matches• an address book• Do you have any books on astronomy?• We can not have the voluptuous strengths of new technology, but books have the attraction of maturity.• In September 1930, on a day selected by his grandmother, he opened an exercise book and waited for inspiration.• That is the sad story Jim Carlton tells in his forthcoming book about Apple Computer.• It's a pretty good book.• I think Muriel Spark is a great writer, I love her books.• His book had to be published by the obscure Middle Passage Press.• I went and got a library book about it.• a secondhand book dealer• The book was an immediate success.• Have you read this book?• What book are you reading at the moment?• It told me, he will write books of status.book about/on• This, I emphasize, is not a book about military management.• But to leave it there is about as practical as learning to fly an aeroplane by reading a book on the subject.• Also, Marx did not write a book about the state and the political level.• a book about plants• A book on the subject has been commissioned for publication in 1987.• He braked for drugs, booze, and hookers, and wrote a good book about a bum existence.• A: He called to ask how people were liking the book about his execution.• The books about children with ponies were books from the library.• Here we were in a restaurant where books on croquet lay scattered around the place.book of• the Book of Genesis bookbook2 ●●○ S3 verb 1 [intransitive, transitive]BUY to make arrangements to stay in a place, eat in a restaurant, go to a theatre etc at a particular time in the future → reserve Have you booked a holiday this year? The flight was already fully booked (=no more seats were available). To get tickets, you have to book in advance. The show’s booked solid (=all the tickets have been sold) until February.2 [transitive]AP to arrange for someone such as a singer to perform on a particular date The band was booked for a benefit show in Los Angeles.3 → be booked up4 [transitive] to arrange for someone to go to a hotel, fly on a plane etc I’ve booked you a flight on Saturday.book somebody on/in etc I’ll book you in at the Hilton.5 [transitive]SCPSCL to put someone’s name officially in police records, along with the charge made against them Smith was booked on suspicion of attempted murder.6 [transitive] British EnglishDSF when a referee in a sports game books a player who has broken the rules, he or she officially writes down the player’s name in a book as a punishmentCOLLOCATIONSbook + NOUNbook a holidayPeople often book their holidays in January.book a tripI booked the whole trip on the Internet.book a flightHe picked up the phone and booked a flight to Barcelona.book a ticketIt’s cheaper if you book your train ticket in advance.book a table (=in a restaurant)I’ll book a table for 7.30 tomorrow evening.book a room/hotelRoss found a good hotel and booked a room.book a seatShe booked me a seat on the 9 am flight.book a place on somethingStudents are advised to book a place on the course early.adverbsbook earlyWe recommend you book early to avoid disappointment.book (well) in advanceThere are only 20 places, so it is essential to book well in advance.book online (=on the Internet)It’s much easier to book tickets online.be fully booked (=all the seats, tickets etc are sold)I’m afraid that show is fully booked.be booked solid (=all the seats, tickets etc are sold for a long period)The restaurant’s booked solid for the whole of the Christmas period. → book in→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
book• Now, on Montana highways, you can really book.• I booked a table for two at 8:00.• But if you can book a ticket, the fare is good for nearly a year.• You'll have to book by tomorrow if you want the lower price.• Nelson was booked for a tour of Japan in August.• I did not book his seat.• I was booked in San Diego last night, you know?• So he set the play in a hotel room, and Frank and Betty Spencer were the honeymoon couple who booked in.• Dawkins was booked on suspicion of attempted murder.• The open-top bus can be booked, the extra supplies of silver polish ordered.booked solid• It is booked solid, but not overbooked.• Not only have they been booked solid for months for convention week, but their meeting rooms are jammed with lavish receptions.• A bed and breakfast was booked solid for the dates I wanted, and the proprietor of it suggested the Ridgemount.• The Cody band may find itself booked solid once it gets to Washington on Jan. 18.• Classes are booked solid , with many students unable to get the courses they need.From Longman Business Dictionarybookbook1 /bʊk/ noun1books [plural]ACCOUNTING the accounting records of a businessSYNACCOUNT BOOKS, BOOKS OF ACCOUNTThe company’s books are in such chaos that we won’t know the truth for some time.2books [plural]MANUFACTURING a list of a company’s clients and orders for goodsThe company has 100 firm orders for two different aircraft on its books.3books [plural]HUMAN RESOURCES a company’s records of the people working for itThe 206,000 employees on its books last summer have now fallen to 185,000.4a book containing an official record or list5FINANCE a list of the bonds, shares etc that a dealer has to offer at a particular timeMarketmakers were running down their books ahead of the holiday.6manage/run a bookFINANCE to be responsible for organizing a SECURITIES ISSUE (=when new bonds, shares etc are sold)the financial services company that will run the book for the floatbookbook2 verb [transitive] ACCOUNTING to enter a figure in a company’s account booksThe restructuring charge is to be booked in the company’s second-quarter accounts.→ See Verb tableOrigin book1 Old English boc 