1. [n]  physical objects consisting of a number of pages bound together; "he used a large book as a doorstop"
2. [n]  a number of sheets (ticket or stamps etc.) bound together on one edge; "he bought a book of stamps"
3. [n]  a major division of a long written composition; "the book of Isaiah"
4. [n]  a copy of a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together); "I am reading a good book on economics"
5. [n]  the sacred writings of the Christian religion; "he went to carry the Word to the heathen"
6. [n]  sacred writings of Islam revealed by God to the prophet Mohammed during his life at Mecca and Medina; divided into 114 chapters
7. [n]  a compilation of the known facts regarding something or someone; "Al Smith used to say, `Let's look at the record'"; "his name is in all the recordbooks"
8. [n]  a written version of a play or other dramatic composition; used in preparing for a performance
9. [n]  a collection of rules or prescribed standards on the basis of which decisions are made; "they run things by the book around here"
10. [n]  a record in which commercial accounts are recorded; "they got a subpoena to examine our books"
11. [v]  engage for a performance; "Her agent had booked her for several concerts in Tokyo"
12. [v]  record a charge in a police register; "The policeman booked her when she tried to solicit a man"
13. [v]  arrange for and reserve (something for someone else) in advance; "reserve me a seat on a flight"; "The agent booked tickets to the show for the whole family"; "please hold a table at Maxim's"
14. [v]  register in a hotel booker

1. \Book\ (b[oo^]k), n. [OE. book, bok, AS. b[=o]c; akin to
   Goth. b[=o]ka a letter, in pl. book, writing, Icel. b[=o]k,
   Sw. bok, Dan. bog, OS. b[=o]k, D. boek, OHG. puoh, G. buch;
   and fr. AS. b[=o]c, b[=e]ce, beech; because the ancient
   Saxons and Germans in general wrote runes on pieces of
   beechen board. Cf. {Beech}.]
   1. A collection of sheets of paper, or similar material,
      blank, written, or printed, bound together; commonly, many
      folded and bound sheets containing continuous printing or
      writing.
   
   Note: When blank, it is called a blank book. When printed,
         the term often distinguishes a bound volume, or a
         volume of some size, from a pamphlet.
   
   Note: It has been held that, under the copyright law, a book
         is not necessarily a volume made of many sheets bound
         together; it may be printed on a single sheet, as music
         or a diagram of patterns. --Abbott.
   
   2. A composition, written or printed; a treatise.
   
            A good book is the precious life blood of a master
            spirit, embalmed and treasured up on purpose to a
            life beyond life.                     --Milton.
   
   3. A part or subdivision of a treatise or literary work; as,
      the tenth book of ``Paradise Lost.''
   
   4. A volume or collection of sheets in which accounts are
      kept; a register of debts and credits, receipts and
      expenditures, etc.
   
   5. Six tricks taken by one side, in the game of whist; in
      certain other games, two or more corresponding cards,
      forming a set.
   
   Note: Book is used adjectively or as a part of many
         compounds; as, book buyer, bookrack, book club, book
         lore, book sale, book trade, memorandum book, cashbook.
   
   {Book account}, an account or register of debt or credit in a
      book.
   
   {Book debt}, a debt for items charged to the debtor by the
      creditor in his book of accounts.
   
   {Book learning}, learning acquired from books, as
      distinguished from practical knowledge. ``Neither does it
      so much require book learning and scholarship, as good
      natural sense, to distinguish true and false.'' --Burnet.
   
   {Book louse} (Zo["o]l.), one of several species of minute,
      wingless insects injurious to books and papers. They
      belong to the {Pseudoneuroptera}.
   
   {Book moth} (Zo["o]l.), the name of several species of moths,
      the larv[ae] of which eat books.
   
   {Book oath}, an oath made on {The Book}, or Bible.
   
   {The Book of Books}, the Bible.
   
   {Book post}, a system under which books, bulky manuscripts,
      etc., may be transmitted by mail.
   
   {Book scorpion} (Zo["o]l.), one of the false scorpions
      ({Chelifer cancroides}) found among books and papers. It
      can run sidewise and backward, and feeds on small insects.
   
   
   {Book stall}, a stand or stall, often in the open air, for
      retailing books.
   
   {Canonical books}. See {Canonical}.
   
   {In one's books}, in one's favor. ``I was so much in his
      books, that at his decease he left me his lamp.''
      --Addison.
   
   {To bring to book}.
      (a) To compel to give an account.
      (b) To compare with an admitted authority. ``To bring it
          manifestly to book is impossible.'' --M. Arnold.
   
   {To curse by bell, book, and candle}. See under {Bell}.
   
   {To make a book} (Horse Racing), to lay bets (recorded in a
      pocket book) against the success of every horse, so that
      the bookmaker wins on all the unsuccessful horses and
      loses only on the winning horse or horses.
   
   {To speak by the book}, to speak with minute exactness.
   
   {Without book}.
      (a) By memory.
      (b) Without authority.
   
   

2. \Book\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Booked}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Booking}.]
   1. To enter, write, or register in a book or list.
   
            Let it be booked with the rest of this day's deeds.
                                                  --Shak.
   
   2. To enter the name of (any one) in a book for the purpose
      of securing a passage, conveyance, or seat; as, to be
      booked for Southampton; to book a seat in a theater.
   
   3. To mark out for; to destine or assign for; as, he is
      booked for the valedictory. [Colloq.]
   
            Here I am booked for three days more in Paris.
                                                  --Charles
                                                  Reade.
   
   

This word has a comprehensive meaning in Scripture. In the Old Testament it is the rendering of the Hebrew word _sepher_, which properly means a "writing," and then a "volume" (Ex. 17:14; Deut. 28:58; 29:20; Job 19:23) or "roll of a book" (Jer. 36:2, 4).

Books were originally written on skins, on linen or cotton cloth, and on Egyptian papyrus, whence our word "paper." The leaves of the book were generally written in columns, designated by a Hebrew word properly meaning "doors" and "valves" (Jer. 36:23, R.V., marg. "columns").

Among the Hebrews books were generally rolled up like our maps, or if very long they were rolled from both ends, forming two rolls (Luke 4:17-20). Thus they were arranged when the writing was on flexible materials; but if the writing was on tablets of wood or brass or lead, then the several tablets were bound together by rings through which a rod was passed.

A sealed book is one whose contents are secret (Isa. 29:11; Rev. 5:1-3). To "eat" a book (Jer. 15:16; Ezek. 2:8-10; 3:1-3; Rev. 10:9) is to study its contents carefully.

The book of judgment (Dan. 7:10) refers to the method of human courts of justice as illustrating the proceedings which will take place at the day of God's final judgment. The book of the wars of the Lord (Num. 21:14), the book of Jasher (Josh. 10:13), and the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah and Israel (2 Chr. 25:26), were probably ancient documents known to the Hebrews, but not forming a part of the canon.

The book of life (Ps. 69:28) suggests the idea that as the redeemed form a community or citizenship (Phil. 3:20; 4:3), a catalogue of the citizens' names is preserved (Luke 10:20; Rev. 20:15). Their names are registered in heaven (Luke 10:20; Rev. 3:5).

The book of the covenant (Ex. 24:7), containing Ex. 20:22-23:33, is the first book actually mentioned as a part of the written word. It contains a series of laws, civil, social, and religious, given to Moses at Sinai immediately after the delivery of the decalogue. These were written in this "book."