bible
/ˈbaɪbəl/ noun, proper noun
Forms bibles the bible
- noun (by extension) A comprehensive manual that describes something, or a publication with a loyal readership; a foundational text. “handyman’s bible”
- noun (law) A binder containing copies of the most important documents for a particular matter. “Could you please add these to the case bible?”
- noun (nautical) Synonym of holystone: a piece of sandstone used for scouring wooden decks on ships.
- noun (at certain US universities) A compilation of problems and solutions from previous years of a given course, used by some students to cheat on tests or assignments.
- noun Omasum, the third compartment of the stomach of ruminants
- noun (locksmithing) The upper part of a pin-tumbler lock, containing the driver pins and springs.
- proper noun The main religious text in Christianity. “In my religion class we learn about the Bible, as well as religious texts of other religions.”
- proper noun The Jewish holy book that was largely incorporated into the Christian Bible. “She's Jewish, but she doesn't read the Bible because she's not religious.”
- proper noun The analogous holy book of another religion or belief system. “He conveys to his foreign students the importance of the Qur'an by explaining that it is the Bible of Islam.”
- proper noun (loosely) The principal important document of some area of skill or expertise. “This technical handbook is the Bible of our trade.”
- noun A specific version, edition, translation, or copy of one of the above-mentioned texts.
- proper noun A surname originating as a matronymic.
Synonyms
holystone psalterium omasum manyplies fardel Christian Bible Holy Bible Good Book Book word of God word of life Tanakh Tanach Jewish Bible Hebrew Bible Hebrew Scriptures Hebrew-Aramaic Scriptures Old Testament[Appendix:Glossary Holy Scripture Holy Writ Scripture Word
Etymology
From Middle English bible, from Middle Latin biblia (“book”) (misinterpreted as a feminine from earlier Latin neuter plural biblia (“books”)), from Ancient Greek βιβλία (biblía, “books”), plural of βιβλίον (biblíon, “small book”), originally a diminutive of βίβλος (bíblos, “book”), from βύβλος (búblos, “papyrus”) (from the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos which exported this writing material).
Old English used biblioþēce (from βιβλιοθήκη) and ġewritu (> English writs) for "the Scriptures".
From Middle English bible, from Medieval Latin biblia (“book”) (misinterpreted as a feminine from earlier Latin neuter plural biblia (“books”)), from Ancient Greek βιβλία (biblía, “books”), plural of βιβλίον (biblíon, “small book”), originally a diminutive of βίβλος (bíblos, “book”), from βύβλος (búblos, “papyrus”) (from the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos which exported this writing material).
Old English used biblioþēce (from βιβλιοθήκη) and ġewritu (whence English writs) for "the Scriptures".
From a Middle English diminutive of the given name Isabel.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A book. [Obs.] Chaucer.
- noun The Book by way of eminence, --that is, the book which is made up of the writings accepted by Christians as of divine origin and authority, whether such writings be in the original language, or translated; the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments; --sometimes in a restricted sense, the Old Testament; as, King James's Bible; Douay Bible; Luther's Bible. Also, the book which is made up of writings similarly accepted by the Jews; as, a rabbinical Bible.
Etymology [F. bible, L. biblia, pl., fr. Gr. , pl. of , dim. of , , book, prop. Egyptian papyrus.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “bible”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details