REFERENCE BOOK

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does reference book mean? 

• REFERENCE BOOK (noun)
  The noun REFERENCE BOOK has 1 sense:

1. a book to which you can refer for authoritative facts

  Familiarity information: REFERENCE BOOK used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• REFERENCE BOOK (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A book to which you can refer for authoritative facts

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

book of facts; reference; reference book; reference work

Context example:

he contributed articles to the basic reference work on that topic

Hypernyms ("reference book" is a kind of...):

book (a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "reference book"):

cookbook; cookery book (a book of recipes and cooking directions)

instruction book (a book of directions for using or operating some piece of equipment)

source book (a collection of historically important documents published together as a book)

wordbook (a reference book containing words (usually with their meanings))

enchiridion; handbook; vade mecum (a concise reference book providing specific information about a subject or location)

directory (an alphabetical list of names and addresses)

annual; yearbook; yearly (a reference book that is published regularly once every year)

atlas; book of maps; map collection (a collection of maps in book form)

cyclopaedia; cyclopedia; encyclopaedia; encyclopedia (a reference work (often in several volumes) containing articles on various topics (often arranged in alphabetical order) dealing with the entire range of human knowledge or with some particular specialty)

 Context examples 

He planned to buy some more clothes, to subscribe to many magazines, and to buy dozens of reference books that at present he was compelled to go to the library to consult.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)