Redbook

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A reference or official publication issued in a red cover, such as those used by governments or for compiling vehicle values ; a long-running American monthly magazine aimed at women readers
2. An official or reference volume distinguished by its red binding, often compiled for government or professional use ; a popular American periodical directed at a female audience
3. A red-covered official handbook or directory used for reference ; a women's lifestyle magazine published in the United States for many decades

Etymology: The most surprising thing about this word is how old its colour-coded name is. Long before any magazine used it, "red book" was a fixed title for official manuscripts. The best known is the Red Book of the Exchequer, a 13th-century volume that recorded the feudal holdings and payments of England's royal treasury. The name came from the red binding or cover, and by the 15th century it was being applied to a range of official books, so the colour became a label that identified a whole category of record. That old sense explains the modern uses. Governments and organisations kept reference books with red covers, and the name carried over to directories and handbooks meant for quick consultation. The term later attached itself to a women's lifestyle magazine published in the United States for many decades, which drew on the same associations of a reference work worth consulting.