passbook

[ pas-book, pahs- ]

noun

1. a bankbook.
2. (formerly) a small book or ledger for each customer in which a merchant keeps a record of goods sold on credit and the amounts owed and paid.
3. South African. reference book ( def 2 ).

passbook

/ ˈpɑːsˌbʊk /

noun

1. a book for keeping a record of withdrawals from and payments into a building society
2. another name for bankbook
3. a customer's book in which is recorded by a trader a list of credit sales to that customer
4. (formerly in South Africa) an official document serving to identify the bearer, his race, his residence, and his employment

Word History and Origins

Origin of passbook¹

First recorded in 1820–30; pass + book

Example Sentences

South Africans used to go to collect a passbook, or a "dompas", that controlled where they could travel.

From BBC

The gutted building is linked to apartheid-era South Africa, as it was where Black South Africans collected their "dompas" or passbook - documents that would enable them to work in white-owned areas of the city.

From Reuters

Mr Stinson says one reason behind this stagnation may be that most local customers are happy with how things are already run, even if it means sometimes standing in line with a passbook.

From BBC

One of the glitches affected most of its ATMS, leaving thousands of bank cards and passbooks stuck inside.

From Reuters

But, the court heard, a passbook was needed to credit or debit the account and only one was issued.

From BBC