book

I UK [bʊk] / US noun
Word forms "book":
singular book plural books
***

Talking or writing about books:

novel a book that tells a story textbook a book you study at school, college, or university manual a book of instructions cookery book a book of instructions for cooking guidebook a book for tourists biography a book about someone's life autobiography a book about your own life notebook a book you can write in, with empty pages hardback a book with a hard cover paperback a book with a thick paper cover

1)

a) [countable] a set of printed pages fastened together inside a cover, that may contain a story, information, poems, or other forms of writing

a book by Nelson Mandela, entitled Long Walk to Freedom

Please open your books at page 25.

book about/on:

I'm reading a book about American history.

b) one of the sections of a long book such as the Bible

the Book of Job

••

See:

the Book of Common Prayer

2) [countable] something that you write in, consisting of pages fastened together inside a cover

Visitors to the building must sign the book.

address/exercise book:

I wrote his phone number in my address book.

3) [countable] a set of small objects, such as stamps, tickets, or matches, fastened together inside a paper cover

You can buy stamps in books of ten.

4)

a) books

[plural] business records of the money that an organization or business has earned and spent do the books (= record the necessary information in them):

Alfred's job was to do the books at the end of each month.

b) records of customers that use a company's services

on someone's books:

a theatrical agency with dozens of top actors on its books

•

in someone's bad/good books — informal used for saying that someone is annoyed with you/pleased with you

I'm trying to get back in her good books.

- the book

- bring someone to book

- by the book

- a closed book

- in my book

- on the books

- read someone like a book

See:

close I, judge II, open I, throw I

II UK [bʊk] / US verb
Word forms "book":
present tense I/you/we/they book he/she/it books present participle booking past tense booked past participle booked
**

1)

a) [intransitive/transitive] to buy tickets, or to arrange to have or use something at a particular time in the future

I'll book a table for 8 o'clock.

book a holiday/flight/tour/trip:

Our flight was booked six months ago.

book in advance:

The tours are very popular, so it's best to book in advance.

fully booked:

I'm sorry sir, that flight is fully booked already.

b) [transitive] to arrange for someone to perform or speak at a public event

Her job is to book bands for the festival.

book someone to do something:

Several leading businessmen were booked to speak at the conference.

2)

a) [transitive] if the police book someone, they take them to the police station and make a record of their crime

book someone for something:

They booked him for assault.

b) British if a sports referee books a player who has broken the rules, the player's name is recorded in an official book. In football, a player who is booked gets a yellow card

book someone for something:

Adams was booked for dangerous play.

Phrasal verbs:

- book in

- book on

- book up