pocketbook

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English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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1610s,[1][2] from pocket +‎ book, popularized in its sense as a paperback by the success of Pocket Books in the United States after its 1939 launch.

Noun

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pocketbook (plural pocketbooks)

  1. (US) A purse or handbag.
  2. (dated) A wallet for paper money.
  3. (figuratively) One's personal budget or financial capacity; the amount one can afford.
    Synonym: pocket
  4. (uncommon) A small book, particularly (US) a paperback or (UK) notebook able to fit into a pocket (of any genre, from reference work to fine art).
    The publishers brought out small format pocketbooks of the whole of their nature series.
    • c. 2005, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Risk Management Pocket Guide:
      The kit is produced in three parts including a pocket book designed to fit into a shirt pocket for everyday on-the-job use, a more detailed guide and a training CD. The kit includes a hazard reporting and feedback notebook and hazard management process prompt cards to remind workers of common hazards they may encounter in day-to-day operations.
    • 2011, Leslie Stephen, Swift, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 10:
      "I have now lost", he wrote in his pocketbook, "the last barrier between me and death..."
    • 2015, Graham Ison, Whispering Grass, Hachette UK, →ISBN:
      Dave recorded the information in his pocketbook and looked Gibbs straight in the eye.

Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • Gulf Arabic: بوك (būk, wallet)
  • Najdi Arabic: بوك (būk, wallet)

Translations

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ pocketbook”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
  2. ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “pocketbook”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.