noun
book
buuk
noun
1
A set of printed or written pages bound together, meant to be read.
"She finished the whole book in a single weekend."
"He borrowed three books from the library."
2
A record of a business's financial transactions (usually plural: "the books").
"The accountant went through the books before filing the tax return."
3
A person or organization that takes bets on the outcome of events; short for bookmaker.
"He placed his bet with a book near the racetrack."
verb
1
To arrange or reserve something in advance.
"We booked a table for four at eight o'clock."
"She booked her flight home three months early."
2
To formally record a suspect's details after an arrest.
"The officer booked him at the station on suspicion of theft."
3
To give a player an official caution, typically shown with a card (in football/soccer).
"The midfielder was booked for a late tackle."
How to Use Book
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA bound set of written pages to read, or, as a verb, to reserve something in advance.
Common mistake
"Cook the books" (falsify financial records) is often confused with simply "keeping the books" (doing normal accounting) — they mean very different things.
Common pairings
book a table
book a flight
book someone in
cook the books
Word Forms
booked past tense, books plural, Books plural, books singular
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She finished the whole _____ in a single weekend.
Etymology
From Old English boc, ultimately from Proto-Germanic bōks, thought to be related to "beech" — early runic writing may have been carved onto beechwood tablets.