Wordbooks

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of publication that compiles and lists words along with their definitions, usages, or translations
2. A reference material organized to present vocabulary items, often aimed at aiding language learning or reference
3. A collection of words provided with explanations, typically designed to assist in language understanding or education

Etymology: "Wordbooks" is simply the plural of "wordbook," so the word's history is the history of its singular form. "Wordbook" first appeared in English in 1590, and it is a plain compound of "word" and "book," with no borrowed element or hidden classical root. The compound is striking mainly for how closely it mirrors the words used for dictionaries across Europe. West Frisian "wurdboek," Dutch "woordenboek," German "Wörterbuch," Danish "ordbog," and Swedish "ordbok" all mean "dictionary" and share the same underlying idea of a book of words. English reached that same concept by joining its own two everyday words.

Synonyms: dictionaries, lexicons, glossaries