Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations

Some terms used in the description of books are obscure and the following may help tou understand them. The terms are split into four sections - click on heading for more information:

Symbol or Numeric

The symbols and numeric terms that are found included in book descriptions

Alphabetic

An A-Z of most of the expressions and abbreviations used in book descriptions

Book and Paper Sizes

The most commonly used terms already listed in the A-Z but for ease of access, repeated here in a small group

Condition

The shorthand that is used to describe the condition of a book - but it is wise to use these as a general guide only and to take note of the faults mentioned.

Symbol or Numeric

©

copyright (date)

( )

curved brackets surround information provided by the cataloguer which is out of sequence to or additional to the normal book description, eg the date, where it is not shown on the title but appears elsewhere in the book; where the book first appeared under a different title, the original title may be in curved brackets; or the name of an illustrator who is not the author but where it appears in the 'author' field, etc.

(c19??)

circa (in the region of) the date shown

[ ]

square brackets surround information which is known but which is not necessarily stated in the book (eg. anonymous author, publication date, number of unpaginated pages, etc.)

4to (quarto)

a book format, each gathering formed from paper sheet folded in half twice and comprises four leaves or eight pages, see book sizes and paper sizes

8vo (octavo)

a book format, each gathering formed from paper sheet folded in half three times and comprises eight leaves or sixteen pages, see book sizes and paper sizes

12mo (duodecimo or twelvemo)

a book format, each gathering formed from paper sheet folded in half twice and then in thirds, and comprises twelve leaves or twenty-four pages, see book sizes and paper sizes

16mo (sextodecimo or sixteenmo)

a book format, each gathering formed from paper sheet folded in half four times and comprises sixteen leaves or thirty-two pages, see book sizes and paper sizes

Alphabetic

ads., advts.,

advertisements, usually at the end of a book and sometimes separately paginated

advance copy

precedes the issue of the first trade edition, although can be part of that edition or similar to a proof copy - usually for review rather than proofing (see proof copy)

aeg

all edges gilt, gold leaf applied to all edges of a book

AL

Autograph Letter, in the handwriting of the author but not signed (see ALS)

ALS

Autograph Letter Signed, in the handwriting of the author and signed (see also TLS)

as called for

a reference to the contents of a book when compared with a known bibliographical record (named) or to other listing within the book (eg. list of illustrations)

as issued

confirmation that the elements of the book are in their original state

assoc., association

an association copy means that there is something special with regard to the previous ownership of that copy, eg it was the author's own copy, the copy owned by the person to whom the author dedicated the book, etc.

backstrip

the spine or back of the book

bds., boards

the outer protection of the pages of a 'hardback' book, usually covered in leather or cloth on older books but more recent books in paper with a grain like cloth or in USA often cloth backed with paper covered bds.

bevelled

usually with thick boards to describe where they have been shaped to a narrower thickness at the edges

binding copy

a copy with the binding in poor condition but with clean contents worthy of being rebound

black letter

a general description of the gothic type faces used in early printing

blanks

blank pages forming part of the gathering or signature

blind

impressed mark, lettering or decoration without any ink or other colouring. Blind stamped cloth usually means some sort of decoration stamped into the boards, blind stamped owner's mark is usually on ffep, half title or title, etc.

blurb

the promotional description used on a dustwrapper or wrappers

book formats

the construction of the printed pages comprising the book, ie number of times each original printed sheet has been folded to produce each gathering or signature, see folio, quarto, octavo, duodecimo, sextimodecimo

book sizes

this subject needs a glossary all of its own as it is dependent on so many different criteria: general terms in use tend to refer to an abbreviation for the format rather than the size, ie the number of times each original printed sheet has been folded to produce each gathering or signature, (see folio, quarto, octavo, duodecimo, sextimodecimo) but the size of the book using this method depends on the size of the original sheet of paper (foolscap, crown, demy, royal, etc). The more technical booksellers will describe both but many will use physical size in inches or centimetres,

bookplate

used, most often on the pastedown, to identify the ownership of a book and especially useful in establishing earlier ownership. Finely produced bookplates collectable in their own right.

buckram

a hard wearing cloth of linen or cotton

bump

usually at spine ends and/or corners where there are signs that the book had been knocked

bw, b/w

black and white

c

circa

calf

the tanned skin of a calf used for binding, a smooth grainless leather usually mid brown in colour but may be decorated in a number of styles

cancels

part of a book replaced from what was originally printed (eg the title page of Dornford Yates' 'Wife Apparent', 1956 - during printing it was discovered that the intended title was already in use and so the whole run had a new title tipped to the stub of the original)

case, cased

an expression almost out of use as it refers to the machine binding of a book as opposed to hand binding. With nearly all binding now by machine the expression bound or binding are now accepted for machine binding

cat.

catalogue

chip, chipping, chipped

usually of a dustwrapper but occasionally of the edges of leaves where pieces along the edge are missing

clam shell case/box

a box especially made to protect the book or other ephemera, then covered in some form of leather, see also solander

cloth

the fabric used to cover the boards and spine of a book

cloth grain paper

in more recent years a paper with the impressed grain of cloth is used as a cheaper alternative to cloth

cocked

through repeated opening of a book the upper board no longer lies in line wih the lower board with the result that in section, the spine is angled.

col'd, cold

coloured

colophon

in early books a note at the end of a book (usually last leaf) giving details of the publication that the printer thought to be important. The same information in more modern books is found on the title page.

cont., contemp., contemporary

at the same time, ie. not contemporary 'now' but contemporary with whatever else is being described

covers

the material covering the boards of a hardbound book or sometimes the whole outer covering of a book including the boards

crown, cr.

a paper size of twenty inches by fifteen inches before being folded

demy

a paper size of twenty-two and a half inches by seventeen and a half inches before being folded

device

usually the mark or other symbol of the publisher but sometimes of the author or printer

dichromatic

used to describe cloth which is one colour on the weft and another contrasting colour on the weave

disbound

commonly used for an item removed from a composite or complete work, eg. a single pamplet removed from a bound collection of pamplets

dj, dustjacket

the loose paper jacket on the outside of a hardback book, also occasionally found on mainly pre-WW2 paperbacks, synonymous with dustwrapper

duodecimo (twelvemo or 12mo)

a book format, gathering formed from paper sheet folded in half twice and then in thirds, and comprises twelve leaves or twenty-four pages, see book sizes and paper sizes

dusty

describes the edges of leaves that have accumulated dust, grime, dirt etc. in the passage of time

dw, dustwrapper

the loose paper jacket on the outside of a hardback book, also occasionally found on mainly pre-WW2 paperbacks, synonymous with dustjacket

edges

unless otherwise qualified the three outer edges of the leaves of a book, the head - the top or upper edge, the fore-edge, and the tail - the lower or bottom edge

edition

the books printed from one set of plates. Any material alteration to the text or wear to the original plates requiring new plates to be made will result in a new edition (see also impression and issue)

endpapers

see eps

ep, eps

endpaper, endpapers, the leaf of paper at the end of a book, half of which is pasted to the inside of the boards (the paste down or pd) and half of which is a blank page (the free endpaper, or fep)

errata

usually a slip or extra leaf tipped in containing corrections to the text discovered after the printing of the main body of the book

ex lib, ex library

a book discarded by, usually, a public library in which case the book will probably be well worn and contain many marks

ex libris

see bookplate

extra illustrated

additional illustrations over and above the illustrations, if any, of the original issue

extrems

extremities, the furthest edges, usually spine ends, edges and corners

facs, facsimile

a reproduction of an earlier issue

feps

front endpapers (see eps)

ff

leaves, where the pages are unnumbered or numbered as leaves (a leaf has two sides, a page has one side)

ffep

front free endpaper (see eps)

fldg

folding, usually of maps and/or tables, etc, which are too large, when unfolded, for the book

Fo. (folio)

a book format, each gathering formed from paper sheet folded in half once and comprises two leaves or four pages, see book sizes and paper sizes

foolscap, fcp

a paper size of seventeen inches by thirteen and a half inches before being folded

fore

front

formats

the construction of the printed pages comprising the book, ie number of times each original printed sheet has been folded to produce each signature, see folio, quarto, octavo, duodecimo, sextimodecimo

fox marks, foxed, foxing

ranging from light brown or yellow to very dark brown spots, patches and larger areas, usually caused by a combination of the acidity and/or imperfections in the paper and the atmospheric conditions in which the book has been kept, occasionally found in cloth

fpd

front paste down (see eps)

frontis, frontispiece

an illustration opposite the title page of a book, may be part of the gathering but more usually tipped in, sometimes with a tissue guard

full bound, full binding

the same material covering the whole of the boards and spine

gathering

a group of leaves formed from one folded sheet of paper, the number of leaves depending on the size of the original sheet and the way in which folded, multiple gatherings being sewn together to form the unbound book

gilt

applied gold leaf, usually the lettering and/or decoration to the covers but sometimes to top and other edges (see teg, aeg)

guard

a tipped in protection to a plate, usually tissue

half bound, half binding

two different board covering materials applied one to the spine and corners of the boards, the other to the boards, (eg. half calf) see also quarter bound

half title

usually preceding the title page with just the book title displayed

half tone

a monotone illustration with a number of shades of grey between black and white

head

the upper part or top

headband

a decorative band, usually coloured cotton or silk, at the head of the spine beteen the leaves and the backstrip (see also tailband)

head-piece

an ornament or vignette at the start of a chapter

hinges

the internal junctions bewteen the bulk of the pages and the boards (see also joints)

ill., ills.

illustrated, illustrations

imp., impression

an impression from a set of plates, the first impression being the first edition. Where an extra print run is made from the same plates then it is known as a further impression - the impression number is often indicated on the verso of the title. If the text is re-set then a new set of plates is needed and a printing from these would be a new edition

india paper

a very thin, tough and opaque paper first made for the Oxford University Press and properly called Oxford India Paper

inscr., inscription

inscription by a former owner or by a person presenting the book to the former owner - could be anyone and is a fault rather than the attraction of being 'inscribed' which is an enhancement

inscribed

only used where the writing in the book is by the author, illustrator or some other person with a significant association with the book but not necessarily with a signature - the relevance of the inscriber will be stated

issue

points of difference of an impression, eg. where the printer has spotted a broken character and replaces it or otherwise makes some material change or correction during a print run then a different issue is created; it would also be a different issue when the same impression of an edition is released in a different binding

japon

a heavy vellum-like paper used for some de luxe and limited editions

joints

the external junctions between the boards and the spine covering (see also hinges)

laid down

a method of repair to paper where it is laid down onto or backed by a further layer of paper

laid in

additional material included but not bound into the book, synonymous with loosely inserted

laminated, lamination

a glazed plastic surface applied to the outside of a dustwrapper, the paper wrappers of a softback or the paper covering of many children's books - and sometimes with ex-library books the lamination is over the dustwrapper and book welding the two together

large paper copy

a small number of copies of an edition printed on larger size paper, often of a better quality than the main edition, for presentation, subscribers or for sale at a higher price

leaf, leaves

a page of a book comprising both sides, the verso and the recto

leather

a generic term for animal skin, more usually identified by the type of leather such as calf, morocco, etc.

library binding

bound for a library, NOT the publisher's binding but usually in a plain and unattractive but hardwearing material - favoured by circulating libraries (did not refer to public library binding but this usage is becoming more common)

limited edition

an edition limited to a stated number of copies, usually numbered by hand, and sometimes also signed

line

an illustration in black or other single colour, perceptions of grey (or lighter colour) being achieved by smaller thinner lines

loosely inserted

additional material included but not bound into the book, synonymous with laid in

marbled

sometimes of edges but more usually of endpapers or the paper covering of bds. and occasionally of calf, a decoration to resemble the veined effect of marble

margins

the unprinted parts of the page around the text

marker

often described as silk though these days likely to be a more robust material, a coloured tape bound into the top of the book to be used as a page marker

mass market

a paperback edition, usually after any trade paperback edition and in a smaller format, in the UK about 7 x 4¼ inches

morocco

the tanned skin of a goat used in binding, a hard wearing fine grained leather which readily takes a variety of colours

mount

the leaf on which an illustration has been mounted, often a heavier art paper than the remainder of the book

mounted

usually of an illustration of a smaller size than the full page which has been pasted or tipped-in onto a blank leaf (the mount)

nd, ND

no date

oblong

a book that is wider than it is tall

octavo (8vo)

a book format, each gathering formed from paper sheet folded in half three times and comprises eight leaves or sixteen pages, see book sizes and paper sizes

offsetting

the transfer of printed ink from the printed page to the opposite page

onlay

a pasted panel of paper, often an illustration on the covers of a book, usually coloured and pictorial

opened

books are printed on very large sheets of paper which are then folded several times, gathered and trimmed to produce the pages. The trimming sometimes misses the folded edge leaving pages 'unopened'. Careless opening of these can lead to rough edges, even sharksfins

out of series

the number of copies of a limited edition that are printed will exceed the specified limitation to cover errors, etc, and these unnumbered copies are called out of series

paginated, pagination

the page numbering

paper sizes

the most common names for the original size of paper on which the multiple pages comprising a gathering or signature (when folded) are: foolscap, crown, demy and royal - see individual explanations. There are a number of others names and sizes which are beyond the scope of this glossary.

paper wrappers

another name for the covering of a paperback, sometimes the only indication that the book is a paperback

paperback

the book issue where heavy paper or thin card is used in place of boards, in many formats and unless otherwise described to be assumed to be in mass market format, UK size about 7 x 4¼ (see also trade paperback)

parchment

the inner skin of sheep, not tanned but degreased and used as a high quality paper or for binding, (see also vellum)

pc

price clipped

pds

paste downs (see eps)

plate(s), plt(s)

an illustration on a separate leaf usually printed on one side only

plt

see plate

port

portrait

pp

the numbered pages, see also ff, pagination and prelims

prelims

the pages up to where the main text of the book starts, sometimes unnumbered, when numbered often in Roman numerals

proof

printed for the publisher's in-house use only in numbers ranging from about 50-300 copies depending on requirements - early proofs vary in format but later or final proofs are usually in plain or printed thin card wrappers or with a printed label, used for author's corrections, to check text, layout, typesetting, etc., and rarely with a proof dustwrapper

pseud

pseudonym or pen-name

publishers cloth

plain cloth binding issued by the publisher from about 1820's onwards. Prior to this books were issued in plain boards as a temporary measure before the customer had them leather bound. Became the norm by the 1830's when binding became more decorative

quarter bound

two different board covering materials applied one to the spine, the other to the boards, see also half bound

quarto (4to)

a book format, each gathering formed from paper sheet folded in half twice and comprises four leaves or eight pages, see book sizes and paper sizes

raised band

ridges found at the spine, usually four or five in number, where the spine covering material is raised over the cords to which the gatherings are sewn

reading copy

a copy not in collectable condition but with the complete text

rebacked

re-using the original spine

rebound

binding other than the original

recto

the opposite of the verso, the page to the right of the book when opened

respined

a new spine to match the binding

rexine

a plastic coated cloth usually imitating leather, in various colours and embossed patterns, used to cover the boards of a book

rfep

rear free endpaper, see eps

roan

a thin and cheap type of sheepskin used for binding

roll, rolled

in relation to paperback books where the spine has taken on a curved section

royal

a paper size of twenty-five inches by twenty inches before being folded

rpd

rear paste down, see eps

rubbing, rubbed

abrasion to the surface area

sextodecimo (sixteenmo or 16mo)

a book format, each gathering formed from paper sheet folded in half four times and comprises sixteen leaves or thirty-two pages, see book sizes and paper sizes

shaken

the book is no longer firm in its covers

sharksfin

when the edges of a book are cut (see uncut) an error sometimes occurs when a misfold allows extra paper to be left, when unfolded, protruding beyond the edges. Also sometimes occurs when opening unopened pages

sheep

the tanned skin of a sheep used for binding, a soft almost grainless leather which can be coloured but which is not a hard wearing material

signature

the letters or numerals found in the lower margin of the first and sometimes some subsequent leaves of a gathering to assist the binder in ordering the gatherings (A-Z then AA-ZZ, etc). These days sometimes used as a synonym for gathering

signed

only used where the signature is by the author, illustrator or some other person with a direct association with the book

sixteenmo (sextodecimo or 16mo)

a book format, each gathering formed from paper sheet folded in half four times and comprises sixteen leaves or thirty-two pages, see book sizes and paper sizes

sizes

see book sizes or paper sizes (and also formats)

skewed

the upper board is no longer directly over and parallel to the lower board.

sl.

slight, slightly

slant, slanted

similar to cocked but applied more usually to paperbacks

slipcase

a card box the same size and shape as the book and usually covered in the same material as the book, into which the book fits leaving one side open - usually only used for limited editions, de luxe editions, etc.

solander case/box

a box especially made to protect the book or other ephemera, then covered in some form of leather, see also clam shell

sprinkled

the application of small dots of colour as decoration to the edges of leaves

sunning, sunned

damage caused by exposure to sunlight which can darken and/or bleach depending on the material and/or the colours involved

tail

the lower part or bottom

tailband

a decorative band, usually coloured cotton or silk, at the tail of the spine beteen the pages and the backstrip (see also headband)

tail-piece

an ornament or vignette at the end of a chapter

teg

top edge gilt, gold leaf applied to the top edge of a book, see gilt and aeg

tipped

lightly glued to affix along one edge

tips

the spine ends and corners of a book

TLS

Typed Letter, Signed by hand

trade edition

an edition on general sale as opposed to proof copies, advance copies, limited editions, etc.,

trade paperback

the first paperback edition, in larger format then the mass market edition and in the UK about 7¾ x 5 inches

twelvemo (duodecimo or 12mo)

a book format, each gathering formed from paper sheet folded in half twice and then in thirds, and comprises twelve leaves or twenty-four pages, see book sizes and paper sizes

uncut

the edges of the pages are left rough and have not been trimmed to a smooth finish

unopened

the leaves of a book comprise sheets of paper which have been printed and then folded several times before being sewn. When sewing is complete the edges of the folds are trimmed. Pages are described as 'unopened' in the case of any trimming which has failed to reach the folds

v.

very

vellum

the inner skin of calf, not tanned but degreased and used as a high quality paper and also for binding (see also parchment)

verso

the opposite of recto, the page on the left of the book when open

vignette

a small decorative or ornamental design

vol

volume

waf

with all faults

wraps., wrappers

another name for the covering of a paperback, sometimes the only indication that the book is a paperback

Book and Paper Sizes

4to (quarto)

a book format, each gathering formed from paper sheet folded in half twice and comprises four leaves or eight pages, see book sizes and paper sizes

8vo (octavo)

a book format, each gathering formed from paper sheet folded in half three times and comprises eight leaves or sixteen pages, see book sizes and paper sizes

12mo (duodecimo or twelvemo)

a book format, each gathering formed from paper sheet folded in half twice and then in thirds, and comprises twelve leaves or twenty-four pages, see book sizes and paper sizes

16mo (sextodecimo or sixteenmo)

a book format, each gathering formed from paper sheet folded in half four times and comprises sixteen leaves or thirty-two pages, see book sizes and paper sizes

book sizes

this subject needs a glossary all of its own as it is dependent on so many different criteria: general terms in use tend to refer to an abbreviation for the format rather than the size, ie the number of times each original printed sheet has been folded to produce each signature, (see folio, quarto, octavo, duodecimo, sextimodecimo) but the size of the book using this method depends on the size of the original sheet of paper (foolscap, crown, demy, royal, etc). The more technical booksellers will describe both but many will use physical size in inches or centimetres,

crown, cr.

a paper size of twenty inches by fifteen inches before being folded

demy

a paper size of twenty-two and a half inches by seventeen and a half inches before being folded

duodecimo (twelvemo or 12mo)

a book format, each gathering formed from paper sheet folded in half twice and then in thirds, and comprises twelve leaves or twenty-four pages, see book sizes and paper sizes

Fo. (folio)

a book format, each gathering formed from paper sheet folded in half once and comprises two leaves or four pages, see book sizes and paper sizes

foolscap, fcp

a paper size of seventeen inches by thirteen and a half inches before being folded

octavo (8vo)

a book format, each gathering formed from paper sheet folded in half three times and comprises eight leaves or sixteen pages, see book sizes and paper sizes

paper sizes

the most common names for the original size of paper on which the multiple pages comprising a gathering signature (when folded) are: foolscap, crown, demy and royal - see individual explanations. There are a number of others names and sizes which are beyond the scope of this glossary.

quarto (4to)

a book format, each gathering formed from paper sheet folded in half twice and comprises four leaves or eight pages, see book sizes and paper sizes

royal

a paper size of twenty-five inches by twenty inches before being folded

sextodecimo (sixteenmo or 16mo)

a book format, each gathering formed from paper sheet are folded in half four times and comprises sixteen leaves or thirty-two pages, see book sizes and paper sizes

sixteenmo (sextodecimo or 16mo)

a book format, each gathering formed from paper sheet folded in half four times and comprises sixteen leaves or thirty-two pages, see book sizes and paper sizes

twelvemo (duodecimo or 12mo)

a book format, each gathering formed from paper sheet folded in half twice and then in thirds, and comprises twelve leaves or twenty-four pages, see book sizes and paper sizes

Condition

M - mint

As new. The book will be in the state one would expect to find on the shelf of a bookshop selling new books, behind the books already fingered by browsers.

F - fine

Almost as new. No major blemishes but the book has signs of being previously owned. The page edges will be clean, the contents sound, no major faults and any minor faults will be specified.

VG - very good

Showing signs of previous ownership. Corners may be a little bumped and/or the cloth rubbed, page edges may be dusty or browned, there may some writing on the flyleaf (ffep) and in the case of the dustwrapper, rubbing, clipping of price from the flap, short edge tears and/or minor chipping. Too many of these faults will take the book into the next category.

G - good

Showing major signs of previous ownership. Likely to have bumped corners and/or spine ends, marked page edges and bear signs of reading on a number of previous occasions with ownership label/inscription etc. Dustwrapper probably well rubbed, some tears and/or chipping, overall soiling, etc. Again, too many of these faults will take the book into the next category.

P - poor, or reading copy only

This is a reading or reference copy only. The text will be complete but illustrations may be missing and the cloth may be very worn marked and/or torn. It is probable that only the major faults will be mentioned as the minor ones will be too numerous. The book may even be disbound but if so this will be specifically mentioned. Any dustwrapper, if present, is likely to be in pieces or with major portions missing.

Plus +

Indicates better than the major category specified without reaching the next category.

Minus -

Indicates worse than the major category specified. Usually only used with G so that G- means that it is not of the expected standard for that category but that it is better than a 'reading copy'. If of a dustwrapper then it is better than in pieces but not really of a standard that could be called 'Good'.

 Top