book

[[t]b'ʊk[/t]]

♦

books, booking, booked

1) N-COUNT A book is a number of pieces of paper, usually with words printed on them, which are fastened together and fixed inside a cover of stronger paper or cardboard. Books contain information, stories, or poetry, for example.

His eighth book came out earlier this year and was an instant best-seller...

`Robinson Crusoe' is one of the most famous books in the world.

...the author of a book on politics.

...a book about witches.

...a new book by Rosella Brown.

...reference books.

2) N-COUNT: usu N of n A book of something such as stamps, matches, or tickets is a small number of them fastened together between thin cardboard covers.

Can I have a book of first class stamps please?

3) VERB When you book something such as a hotel room or a ticket, you arrange to have it or use it at a particular time.

[V n] British officials have booked hotel rooms for the women and children...

[V n n] Laurie revealed she had booked herself a flight home last night.

[V-ed] ...three-star restaurants that are normally booked for months in advance.

Syn:

reserve

4) N-PLURAL A company's or organization's books are its records of money that has been spent and earned or of the names of people who belong to it.

For the most part he left the books to his managers and accountants...

Around 12 per cent of the people on our books are in the computing industry.

Syn:

accounts

5) VERB When a referee books a soccer player who has seriously broken the rules of the game, he or she officially writes down the player's name.

[V n] League referee Keith Cooper booked him in the first half for a tussle with the goalie.

6) VERB When a police officer books someone, he or she officially records their name and the offence that they may be charged with.

[V n] They took him to the station and booked him for assault with a deadly weapon.

Syn:

charge

7) N-COUNT In a very long written work such as the Bible, a book is one of the sections into which it is divided.

8) → See also , cheque book, phone book

9) PHRASE: v-link PHR If you are in someone's bad books, they are annoyed with you. If you are in their good books, they are pleased with you.

Sir John was definitely in the Treasury's bad books for incorrect thinking on economic prospects...

Right from my very first day I seemed to be in everyone's good books.

10) PHRASE: V inflects If you bring someone to book, you punish them for an offence or make them explain their behaviour officially.

Police should be asked to investigate so that the guilty can be brought to book soon.

11) PHRASE: v-link PHR If you say that someone or something is a closed book, you mean that you do not know anything about them.

Frank Spriggs was a very able man but something of a closed book...

Economics was a closed book to him.

12) PHRASE: v-link PHR If a hotel, restaurant, theatre, or transport service is fully booked, or booked solid, it is booked up.

The car ferries from the mainland are often fully booked by February.

13) PHRASE: PHR with cl In my book means `in my opinion' or `according to my beliefs'.

The greatest manager there has ever been, or ever will be in my book, is retiring.

Syn:

to my mind

14) PHRASE: V inflects If someone in authority throws the book at someone who has committed an offence, they give the offender the greatest punishment that they are allowed to.

15) to cook the books → see cook

to take a leaf out of someone's book → see leaf

Phrasal Verbs:

- book in

- book into