Bodleian

American  

[bod-lee-uhn, bod-lee-] / bɒdˈli ən, ˈbɒd li- /

noun

1. the library of Oxford University, reestablished by Sir Thomas Bodley, 1545–1613, English diplomat and scholar.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to this library.

Bodleian British  

/ ˈbɒdlɪ-, bɒdˈliːən /

noun

1. the principal library of Oxford University: a copyright deposit library

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Etymology

Origin of Bodleian

After Sir Thomas Bodley; -an

Example Sentences

It represents just a fraction of the Le Carré archive held at the Bodleian Libraries in Oxford, of which the Weston is a part, a collection comprising 1,237 boxes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 26, 2026

Strand editor-in-chief Andrew Gulli says he found the poem in a shoe box at the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Library.

From Washington Times • Dec. 11, 2023

The medal, awarded by Oxford University’s 400-year-old Bodleian Libraries, honors contributions to literature, media or science.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 10, 2023

Wilson, whom she married in 1971, recalled a friend telling him that “Katherine Duncan-Jones can never be happy if she is further than a mile from the Bodleian Library.”

From New York Times • Nov. 4, 2022

The Bodleian alethiometer was beautiful and ornate, and what she felt about it was great respect and even awe.

From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman