bookshelf

IPA/ˈbʊkʃelf/
KK[bˈʊkʃˌɛlf]IPA/ˈbʊkʃelf/

bookshelf — noun

  • bookshelfsingular
  • bookshelvesplural

1. a flat board fixed to a wall or frame where books are kept

1.nounA2
Definition

a flat board fixed to a wall or frame where books are kept

Example

Leila put her school books on the new bookshelf.

collocation: put books on a bookshelf

The small bookshelf beside my bed holds comics and a lamp.

Common collocations
  • on the bookshelf
  • build a bookshelf
  • fill a bookshelf
Synonyms
  • shelf

    broader; it can hold many things, not only books

  • bookcase

    usually the full piece of furniture with several shelves

  • rack

    often lighter or simpler in shape than a normal bookshelf

Usage Note

Usually an open shelf or one level of a larger unit. Distinguish from bookcase, which often means the whole piece of furniture with several shelves.

Common Mistakes

I put the novels in the bookshelf.
I put the novels on the bookshelf.
Books normally go on a bookshelf, unless you mean an enclosed case.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Bookshelf is the most direct word for a shelf meant for books. Shelf is broader and can hold plates, shoes, or plants as well, so it does not always suggest books. Bookcase usually means a larger piece of furniture with several shelves, often standing on the floor. Rack can describe a simpler frame for holding things, and it may sound less home-like than bookshelf. If you say, 'The novels are on the bookshelf,' listeners imagine one book shelf or a simple book unit. If you say, 'We bought a new bookcase,' they usually imagine a whole item of furniture.

shelf ↗bookcase ↗rack ↗

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

This compound joins book and shelf. It has been used in English for a shelf or simple open unit made for keeping books.