book

1 /bUk/ noun

1 PRINTED BOOK (C) a set of printed pages that are fastened together in a cover so that you can read them: I'm reading a book by Graham Greene. | Nothing beats curling up with a good book.

2 BOOK TO WRITE IN (C) a set of sheets of paper fastened together in a cover so that you can write on them: a note book | address/exercise etc book (=a book for a particular purpose)

3 SET OF THINGS (C) a set of things such as stamps, matches or tickets, fastened together inside a paper cover

4 books (plural)

a) ACCOUNTS written records of the accounts of a business: Their books show a profit.

-see also: cook the books cook 1 (5)

b) JOBS the names of people who use a company's services, or who are sent by a company to work for other people: on sb's books (=employed by a company or organization): informal: We have over 100 VDU operators on our books at the moment.

5 a closed book a subject that you do not understand or know anything about: Chemistry is a closed book to me.

6 one for the books informal used to say that something that has happened is unusual or surprising: Look! Gaynor's buying the drinks. There's one for the books!

7 be in sb's good/bad books informal used to say that someone is pleased or annoyed with you

8 go by the book/do sth by the book to do something exactly according to rules or instructions: Tony's the sort of bloke who does everything by the book.

9 in my book usually spoken used when giving your opinion: She's all right in my book.

10 PART OF A BOOK (C) one of the parts that a very large book such as the Bible is divided into

(+ of): the Book of Isaiah

11 bring sb to book especially BrE to punish someone for breaking laws or rules, especially when you have been trying to punish them for a long time: Terry was finally brought to book for fiddling the accounts.

-see also: statute book, take a leaf out of sb's book leaf 1 (2), read sb like a book read 1 (13), suit sb's book suit 2 (5), a turn-up for the book turn-up (2), throw the book at throw 1 (27) 2 verb

1 (I, T) BrE to arrange with a hotel, restaurant, theatre etc to go there at a particular time in the future: I've booked a table for two at Mario's tonight. | We need to book well in advance for Christmas. | booked up/fully booked (=no rooms, tables etc available): I'm sorry, we're fully booked for the 14th. | booked solid (=all the tickets etc have been sold): The show's booked solid for months to come.

2 (T) to arrange for someone such as a singer to perform on a particular date: booked up/fully booked (=no time left to do any more performances): We're booked up right through the summer season.

3 (T) when a police officer books someone, they write down their name, address etc because they have done something wrong: Rebecca's been booked for speeding.

4 (T) BrE when a football referee 1 (1) books a player who has broken the rules, they officially write down the player's name in a book