A
ads., advts., adverts -An advertisements is usually placed
in the binding of the book.
advanced reading copy / ARC - This is a copy for the reviewer
or a bookseller. It is usually bound in a paperwraper with either
the finished cover art of trial cover art.
aeg - All of the edges; top fore-edge and foot are the
colour of gold/gilt.
al - autographed letter
als - autographed letter
and signed.
ams - autographed Manuscript and signed
ana - A suffix denoting a collection of sayings, anecdotes,
or other material regarding a person or subject.
antiquarian (book) - A term that suggest a collectible
books rather then just a used books.
apocryphal - A book where the authenticity or authorship
is in doubt.
appendix - Additional material generally found at the end
of a book.
association copy -a copy with extraordinary associations,
usually because it demonstrably belonged to a notable person,
or has a presentation inscription by its author.
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B
backstrip - The covering of the book's spine.
bds. -The hard portion of the book's binding.
biblio - From the Greek; signifying or pertaining to books.
bibliognost - Having a deep knowledge of books.
biblioklept - A stealer of books.
bibliomaniac - One whom the love of books has become an
obsession; many bookdealers and certain collectors.
bibliophile - A lover of books.
bibliophobia - A fear of books.
bibliopole - The people behind the booths at the book fairs.
binding copy - a book which needs to be rebound, and is
worth rebinding.
binding/bdg - The cover of the book.
binding copy - A book which needs to be rebound and is
worth rebinding.
blindstamp - This is the embossed design or text on binding
or pages; an impressed mark, decoration, or lettering, not coloured
or gilded, usually appearing on the binding: "blind",
because uncoloured.
BM or BMC - British Museum or British Museum Catalog.
BOMC - Book-of-the-Month Club.
book club, bc, bce- This
edition of the book printed for a book club, and usually less
valuable.
book label - A label indicating the ownership of a book.
bound - A book with a cover of any type, or a periodical
that has a cover other than its published wraps.
bowed - A condition of the covers or boards of a hard cover
book. Bowed covers may turn inward toward the leaves or outward
away from the leaves. The condition generally results from a rapid
change in the level of moisture in the air.
breaker - A person who breaks up books to sell the plates
individually,
broadside - A single sheet of paper, usually printed on
one side only.
boards - The stiff binding material for most modern books.
brodart - Plastic cover which protects a book's
dust jacket or binding.
b/w - black and white.
bumped - dented
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C
cancel - A tipped-in (i.e., pasted in) page to replace
a page removed after a book has been bound.
case-bound - The book is hardbound as opposed to a paperback.
CBEL - Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature.
chipped - small tears or excisions along the edge of pages
or dustjacket.
cl. -cloth covering the boards of a book's binding
clamshell - hinged box, usually custom-made,
to hold a book for its protection. On a shelf, the clamshell box
may look like a book, with a title on its spine.
codex - An ancient volume of manuscript.
cocked - twisted.
collation - Technically, the examination and notation of
the physical/actual makeup of a book.
colophon - An identifying inscription or emblem from the
printer or publisher appearing at the end of a book. Also the
emblem at the bottom of the spine on both the book and dust-wrapper
as well as a logo on the title or copyright page.
comb binding - A book binding similar to a spiral binding
but using a round tubular plastic piece with many teeth which
fit through small rectangular holes punched into the binding edge
of the book. The plastic piece, if laid flat, would resemble a
comb.
conjugate leaf - The unsevered second half of a printed
page.
contemporary - Refers to bindings and hand-coloured plates
(generally of the period when the book was published) and author
inscription (dated the year of publication).
corners - The right angles on the unbound edges of the
front and back covers of a hardcover book.
covers - The binding of the book.
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D
dampstained - A light stain on the cover or on the leaves
of a book caused by moisture such as a piece of food or perspiration.
Generally not as severe as waterstains.
darkening - When book covers are exposed to light, the
colour darkens or becomes more intense.
deckle edges - Another term for uncut or untrimmed edges.
decorative Stamped Binding - A highly detailed impression
stamped into the cover and/or spine of a book.
dec., decor - decorated - often to refer to a binding, as
in dec. cl.
DJ or DW - dust jacket or dust wrapper.
DNB - (British) Dictionary of National Biography.
dog-eared - Book pages which have been folded over
in the corners. Some people do this to mark their place in a book.
dos-a-dos - Two separate books bound together so that each
cover represents the cover for a different title. The Ace paperbacks
or many science fiction books were issued this way.
dummy - A mock-up of a book used by salesmen in the late
19th and early 20th century to show prospective buyers what the
book would look like. It usually has a title page, 10 or 20 pages
of text, and then blank pages.
dust Jacket - A term synonymous with Dust Wrapper, indicating
the usually decorative paper wrapper placed around a book to protect
the binding.
dust wrapper - dusk jacket
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E
edges - The outer surfaces of the leaves of a book.
edgeworn - Wear along the edges of hardback book covers
ed - edition.
ep - endpapers; the sheets of paper pasted onto the inner
covers, joining the book block to the covers. One side of the
sheet is pasted to the inside cover, the other is left free.
errata - Mistakes or errors.
example - A particular copy of an edition.
exlib, ex-lib - book from a library, usually with library
markings.
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F
F,ff,or fol - Folio(s); leaves of a book or else a size
of a book.
ffee, or ffep - front free endpaper (ie, the blank that
is not pasted down onto the boards).
fine - defining a book's description is not an exact science,
but probably all would agree that a book in "fine" condition
is a mint copy, in the same condition as when it was sent forth
by the printer or binder.
first edition - often, but not always, more valuable than
later editions (though of course most books don't get beyond a
first edition or even a first printing!).
first thus - first thus indicates the volume in question
contains some new feature. It does not indicate that this is the
first edition of the title, but rather that it is the first published
in this particular format, be it with a new illustrator, publisher,
binding, or introduction. The description should generally indicate
what has changed from prior editions.
flyleaf - A blank leaf, sometimes more than one, following
the front free endpaper, or at the end of a book where there is
not sufficient text to fill out the last few pages.
folio - Has several meanings: (1) a leaf numbered on the
front; (2) the numeral itself; and (3) a folio-sized book.
fore ddge - The trimmed edge of the leaves of a book; the
edge of the page opposite the spine, bound or back edge of the
book.
fore-edge painting - The front page edges of the book are
bent back to expose a greater area and a watercolour painting
is applied to this surface. After completion the book is closed
and the painting cannot be seen. The opposite is also true. The
painting is done on the edge of the pages so it can be seen when
the book is closed but is not visible when the book was open.
foxed - brownish spotting of paper, usually because of acid
content.
frontis. - frontispiece (initial illustration, typically
facing title page).
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G
galleys - Sometimes called "galley proofs" or "loose galleys"
to distinguish them from bound galleys. Long sheets of paper bearing
the first trial impression of the type.
gathering - A group of sheets folded together for sewing
or gluing into the binding.
gauffered - An 'engraved' design on the edges of a book.
gilt - indicates the pages of a book have been trimmed
and the outside edges covered in gilt, or gold. The abbreviation
g.e., or gilt edges, is sometimes used.
gutter - center crease of an opened book: bread crumbs
have a way of gathering here.
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HIJK
half binding - A book in which the spine and corners are
bound in a different material (frequently leather) than the rest
of the covers.
half cloth - Paper-covered boards with the spine bound
in cloth.
half leather - A term indicating that the spine and the
corners of a book are bound in leather, while the rest of the
binding may be cloth or paper
half-title - page before title page, usually only with the
book's title printed on it.
illum. - ("Illuminated") usually as in illuminated
manuscript, polychrome illustrations.
illumination - Decoration applied by hand in gold, silver
or coloured paint.
illustrated - Decorated with pictures or other graphical
material to portray or clarify the text.
illustration - A design, picture, plate, plan, diagram,
chart, or map printed within the text.
impression - A much misused term, but one that, when accurately
employed, means the number of copies printed during any given
press run.
imprint - A term that can refer either to the place of
publication or to the publisher.
incunabulum - a book published before 1501
india paper - An extremely thin, yet relatively opaque
paper, used to help reduce the bulk of what would otherwise be
a book of unwieldy size.
insc. - inscribed.
jacket - The printed or unprinted cover, usually paper,
placed around the bound book. Sometimes called Dust Jacket (dj),
Dust Wrapper (dw), dust cover or book jacket.
japan vellum - A smooth, glossy paper, made in imitation
of vellum, generally a light tan colour.
joint - The exterior junction of the covers and spine of
a book.
juveniles - Books originally or primarily written to be
read to a children.
juvenilia - Book written when an author was extremely young,
often as a child.
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L
laid in - A letter or other sheet inserted but not glued
into a book.
laid paper - A handmade paper showing parallel lines of
the papermaking frame, visible when held up to the light.
large print - A book that is made with large type for the
visually impaired.
leaf - A single sheet in a book; each leaf contains two
printed pages, one on each side.
ledgit - A label or memo slip projecting from a book's
pages.
ltd., limited ed. - an edition limited to a specified number
of copies.
lp - large-paper edition.
LOC - Library of Congress.
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M
made-up copy - A copy of a book whose parts have been assembled
from one or more defective copies.
marbled - Paper decorated with an imitation marble pattern.
marginalia - Notes written in the margins of a page around
the text. Frequently used by students and others when studying
a text.
mass-market paperback - The most common paperback book,
about four inches wide and seven inches high.
mint - unread or as new.
mo - a suffix as in 12mo, 16mo, etc., used for the size
of a book See our book size chart for precise details.
monograph - A work, generally short, dealing with a single
subject and usually issued in pamphlet form.
ms, mss - manuscript, manuscripts.
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N
nd - no date given for publication.
nf - near-fine condition.
np - no place, publisher or printer.
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OPQ
obverse - The right-hand page of a book, more commonly called
the Recto.
OCLC - online combined catalog of most large US libraries
and in some other countries. Has about 50 million records, most
with invaluable bibliographic information. Accessed only by fee-paying
subscribers, but can be used by readers in some libraries.
octavo, 8vo - book in which the sheet has been folded to
make 8 pages; like other such designations (4to, Folio, etc.)
this is not strictly speaking an indication of size. Generally,
however, the fewer the folds, the larger the book is likely to
be. See our book size chart
for precise details.
offsetting - the process which causes a reversed image
inadvertently to appear on the page facing the original impression.
orig. - original (as in original cloth binding).
page - One side of a leaf. The front side of a leaf is
called the recto or obverse and the back side of the leaf is called
the verso or the reverse.
pamphlet - A small separate work issued in paperwraps.
paperback - Books in paperwraps published since the 1930's,
although it can describe any book with a paper cover.
pastedown - page which is pasted onto the front or read inside
board of a book.
PBO - paperback original.
pc, or price clipped - usually a small triangle cut from
the front inside corner of a dust jacket to remove the indication
of a book's price. Dust jackets with clipped prices are generally
considered inferior to ones that are intact.
POI - previous owner inscription.
ppr - paperback.
pub.- publisher or published.
quarto, 4to - book in which the sheet has been folded to
make 4 pages; like other such designations (octavo, Folio, etc.)
this is not strictly speaking an indication of size. Generally,
however, the fewer the folds, the larger the book is likely to
be. See our book size chart
for precise details.
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RS
raised band - The raised areas on the spine concealing
a cord which is attached to the covers. In earlier leather books
cords were really used. In some modern books the raised bands
are purely decorative and conceal no underlying cord.
rare - Implies the books is extremely scarce
reading copy - A copy of a book that is worn or used to
such a degree that it is not in good enough condition to be considered
collectible.
re-backed - A book that has been repaired by replacing
the spine and mending the hinges.
re-cased - A book that has been glued back into its covers
after having been shaken loose.
rem, or rm - Remainder. A copy sold by a publisher after withdrawing
the book from publication.
rubbed - Indicates that the outer layer of the material
used on the binding has been rubbed off.
self-wraps - Wrappers
which have vestigial flaps that imitate a dust jacket.
series - A group of volumes with a common theme issued in
succession by a single publisher.
sc - soft cover (paperback or similar).
shaken - used of a book that is no longer firm in its covers
(most likely bound in cloth) because of deteriorating inner hinges
(should not be used of a book that is in but detached from its
covers).
slipcase - container into which a book may be
"slipped" for its protection.
spine - the bound outer edge of a book.
state - Closely allied to the definition of Issue. State
generally refers to a change other than a correction of a misprint.
stub - A narrow strip of paper usually remaining where
a leaf has been cut away.
sunned - Faded from exposure to light or direct sunlight.
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T
tail - The lower margin of a leaf, cover or endpaper. Sometimes
referred to as the bottom.
tailpiece - Decorative typography ornament on the lower
part of a page at the end of a chapter or a poem.
teg - top edge gilt.
tipped in - A sheet which was not part of the original
bound book. Pages are tipped in by dabbing minute amounts of glue
onto the edge which is to be inserted into the book.
tp - titlepage.
trade edition - usually, "first trade edition"
trade paperback - A softcover book which is generally large
in size and made of better quality materials than a Mass-Market
Paperback.
trimmed - An adjective indicating that the pages have been
cut down to a size smaller than when originally issued.
ts - typescript.
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UVWXYZ
uncut - The pages of the completed book have not been shaved
down to a uniform surface.
underlining - Using a pencil or pen to underline passages
in a book to draw attention to the underlined text.
unopened - The leaves of the book are still joined at the
folds, not slit apart.
unpaginated - The pages are not numbered
variant - A book that differs in one or more features from
others of the same impression, but a positive sequence has not
been established.
vellum - A thin sheet of specially prepared skin of calf,
lamb, or kid used for writing or printing, or for the cover.
VG - very good condition.
VG/VG - or some variant (eg NF/VG) describes the condition
of the binding (sometimes of both the binding and interior) and
dust-jacket of a book, respectively.
vol. - volume.
waterstain - Stain on a book cover or leaves from water
or other liquids. May cause discolouration and perhaps actual
shrinking.
worming, wormholes - Small holes resulting from bookworms
wrappers - as in soft covers.
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Note: These definitions are an
not standards. These are here to provide you a guide line to the
terminology. Some dealers may have different definitions for these
terms. They have been submitted by several sources.
Please send us your suggest
or additions to this glossary which you think would be helpful
to other customers.
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