bookcase

IPA/ˈbʊkkeɪs/
KK[bˈʊkkˌes]IPA/ˈbʊkkeɪs/

bookcase — noun

  • bookcasesingular
  • bookcasesplural

1. A tall piece of furniture with horizontal shelves inside, built for keeping or d

1.nounA2
Definition

A tall piece of furniture with horizontal shelves inside, built for keeping or displaying books and similar items.

Example

Dmitri's old bookcase collapsed under the weight of too many books.

bookcase + collapsed under the weight of [objects]

Amara bought a small wooden bookcase for her daughter's bedroom.

Common collocations
  • built-in bookcase
  • tall bookcase
  • wooden bookcase
  • fill a bookcase
  • bookcase shelf
  • glass-fronted bookcase
Synonyms
  • bookshelf

    can mean a single shelf or a wall-mounted unit; 'bookcase' is always a freestanding piece of furniture

  • bookrack

    smaller, often portable, with just a few shelves or slots

  • book cabinet

    has doors that close, while a bookcase usually has open shelves

Grammar Patterns

bookcase + verb

adjective + bookcase

fill / arrange / stack + bookcase

Usage Note

A bookcase is a whole piece of furniture, not a single shelf. Use "bookshelf" (plural: bookshelves) for one shelf or a set of shelves fixed to a wall.

Common Mistakes

I need to go to the bookcase to buy a dictionary.
I need to go to the bookstore to buy a dictionary.
a bookcase stores books you already own; a bookstore is a shop that sells them.
Please put the books on the book case.
Please put the books on the bookcase.
'bookcase' is one word, not two.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A bookcase is a freestanding piece of furniture with multiple shelves for books. A bookshelf can be a single shelf attached to a wall, or a set of such shelves. A bookrack is smaller and often portable — you might keep one on a desk for current reading. A cabinet is more enclosed, with doors and sometimes drawers, and is not limited to books. A bookcase is generally open-fronted, so you can see the spines of the books. For example: 'She installed floating bookshelves above her desk' suggests wall-mounted shelves, while 'He bought a tall oak bookcase for the study' suggests a standalone unit.

bookshelf ↗bookrackcabinet ↗bookcase ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • bookcase shelf
  • bookcase door

Phrases

  • row of bookcases
  • wall of bookcases
  • built-in bookcase

Prepositions

  • on a/the bookcase
  • in a/the bookcase
  • from a/the bookcase

Etymology

Old EnglishOld FrenchLatinEnglish

From 'book' (Old English bōc) + 'case' (from Old French case, from Latin capsa meaning box or repository). The word has been used since the early 1700s for a piece of furniture designed specifically to hold books upright on shelves.