Did you know?

Click any word in a definition or example to find the entry for that word

book

 - definition
 
 
 
Close

What are red words?

90% of the time, speakers of English use just 7,500 words in speech and writing. These words appear in red, and are graded with stars. One-star words are frequent, two-star words are more frequent, and three-star words are the most frequent.

Close

Thesaurus

The thesaurus of synonyms and related words is fully integrated into the dictionary entries. Click on the T button in an entry to review the synonyms and related words for that meaning.

more
noun American English pronunciation: book /bʊk/ 
Word Forms
Close
singularbook
pluralbooks
 
  1. 1
    [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 to page 25.

    book about/on:

    I'm reading a book about American history.

  2. 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. 4

    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.

    1. a.
      records of customers that use a company's services
      on someone's books:

      a theatrical agency with dozens of top actors on its books

phrases

 

caxirola

a percussion instrument used by football fans which makes a rattling sound when shaken

BuzzWord Article

Word of the Day

glean

to learn small pieces of information by asking questions or watching or listening carefully

Open Dictionary

pierce the corporate veil

… the decision to treat the rights and duties of a company as being the same as the rights and duties of its shareholders

add a word

Blog

A must for anyone with an interest in the changing face of language. The Macmillan Dictionary blog explores English as it is spoken around the world today.

global English and language change from our blog