Ebook
nounA book published in digital form, read on a computer, tablet, phone, or dedicated reading device.
How to spell ebook
5 letters · 2 syllables
How to pronounce ebook
Say the part in capitals loudest.
What does ebook mean?
- nounA book published in digital form, read on a computer, tablet, phone, or dedicated reading device.
Ebook in a sentence
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She downloaded the new thriller as an ebook before her flight.
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The publisher released the manual as a free ebook on its website.
Where does ebook come from?
Language of origin: Germanic
This is a modern blend in which the prefix 'e-' stands for 'electronic', attached to the very old native word 'book'. 'Book' itself descends from the Old English 'boc', which referred to a written document or volume and is thought to relate to the beech tree, since early runic inscriptions were sometimes carved into beechwood tablets. The 'e-' shortcut was popularised in the 1990s by 'email' (electronic mail) and then spread freely to coinages such as 'e-commerce', 'e-learning', and 'ebook'. The word entered common English use in the late 1990s and early 2000s as digital reading devices and online stores made electronic books mainstream. The spelling sometimes appears hyphenated as 'e-book', but the closed form 'ebook' has become widely accepted, which is why the absence of a hyphen is the main thing to remember.
How the word is built
- e- (short for electronic)
- book (from Old English boc)
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