Bodleian

American

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

noun

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

adjective

of, relating to, or belonging to this library.

Bodleian British

/ ˈbɒdlɪ-, bɒdˈliːən /

noun

the principal library of Oxford University: a copyright deposit library

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Bodleian

After Sir Thomas Bodley; see -an

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

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

Drawing on decades spent combing through Oxford’s Bodleian Library and other collections, Ms. Duncan-Jones gave the world someone disquietingly different.

From New York Times • Nov. 4, 2022

The map is held in the collections of the Bodleian Library at Oxford University.

From BBC • Aug. 20, 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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023