paperback

[ pey-per-bak ]
See synonyms for paperback on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a book bound in a flexible paper cover, often a lower-priced edition of a hardcover book.

adjective
  1. (of a book) bound in a flexible paper cover: a paperback edition of Orwell's novel.

  2. of, for, or pertaining to paperbacks: a paperback bookstore.

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Origin of paperback

1
First recorded in 1895–1900; paper + back1
  • Also softcover; pa·per·bound [pey-per-bound], /ˈpeɪ pərˌbaʊnd/, softbound (for defs. 1, 2).

Words Nearby paperback

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use paperback in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for paperback

paperback

/ (ˈpeɪpəˌbæk) /


noun
  1. a book or edition with covers made of flexible card, sold relatively cheaply: Compare hardback

adjectiveAlso: paperbound, soft-cover
  1. of or denoting a paperback or publication of paperbacks

verb(tr)
  1. to publish in paperback

Derived forms of paperback

  • paperbacker, noun

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