Dictionary

bibliotheque en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈbɪbliəˌθiːk/

Etymology

From Middle French bibliotheque, from Latin bibliothēca, from Ancient Greek βιβλιοθήκη (bibliothḗkē). Doublet of bibliotheca.

Meanings

1. (obsolete) A collection of books or treatises.
   • I could name ſeveral other Engliſh Tracts upon ſeveral Subjects, full of Primitive Chriſtian Divinity, were ſuch a Bibliotheque fit for this Place. 1723, R[oger] Laurence, Lay-Baptism Invalid. An Essay to Prove, That Such Baptism Is Null and Void, When Administer’d in Opposition to the Divine Right of the Apostolical Succession. […], London: […] Richard King, […], page lxix:
   • FAther Le Long, a Prieſt of the Oratory, deſigns to publiſh a Bibliotheque of the Hiſtorians of France, containing the Civil and Eccleſiaſtical Hiſtory of that Kingdom, and a General and Particular Hiſtory of Provinces, Cities, Families, and Academies, whether they be Printed, or only Manuſcript. 1722, Memoirs of Literature. Containing a Large Account of Many Valuable Books, Letters and Dissertations upon Several Subjects, Miscellaneous Observations, &c., 2nd edition, volume VII, London: […] R. Knaplock, […]; and P. Vaillant, […], page 317:
   • It is pleaſant enough to ſee this Jeſuit repreſented as a Phyſician in ſome Bibliotheques [E]. 1739, John Peter Bernard, Thomas Birch, John Lockman, and others, A General Dictionary, Historical and Critical: In Which a New and Accurate Translation of That of the Celebrated Mr. Bayle, with the Corrections and Observations Printed in the Late Edition at Paris, Is Included; and Interspersed with Several Thousand Lives Never Before Published. […], volume VIII, London: […] James Bettenham, […], page 671:
   • Among the Works of St. Athanaſius we have a Tract entitul’d, A Synopſis of Holy Scripture. Some modern Criticks, Dr. Cave among the reſt, in his Hiſtoria Litteraria, and F. Montfaucon in his Palæologia Græca, are of opinion this work is not St. Athanaſius’s; Mr. Du Pin thinks it is, and defends it in his Bibliotheque of Eccleſiaſtical Writers; however all agree that ’tis very ancient. 1719, [David] Martin, translated by [Samuel Jebb], A Critical Dissertation upon the Seventh Verse of the Fifth Chapter of St. John’s First Epistle, There Are Three, That Bear Record in Heaven, &c. […], London: […] William and John Innys, […], page 77:
   • Forſooth they haue chriſtned the book now by a new name. It muſt no lõger be called a Bibliotheque of holy Fathers; for, they haue diſſainted ſome 100. or two of thoſe auncient writers, and diſcarded many of the reſt, in euerie Tome ſome: It muſt now be called Bibliotheca Patrum, & veterum Authorum Eccleſiaſticorum, a Bibliotheque of Fathers, and other old Eccleſiaſticall writers. 1612, Thomas Iames, A Treatise of the Corruption of Scripture, Councels, and Fathers, by the Prelats, Pastors, and Pillars of the Church of Rome, for Maintenance of Popery and Irreligion. […], London: […] H. L. for Mathew Lownes: […], pages 66–67:
   • He will find I have been very merciful in ſingling out one Inſtance only, of the many that might be produc’d, for I aſſure him it would be wondrous eaſy to furniſh out yearly a Bibliotheque of his own Blunders, but the living upon the worſt of the beſt Authors, is a Diet I leave to this Critick. 1709, William Reeves, The Apologies of Justin Martyr, Tertullian, and Minutius Felix, in Defence of the Christian Religion, with the Commonitory of Vincentius Lirinensis, Concerning the Primitive Rule of Faith, […], volume II, London: […] W. B. for A. and J. Churchill, […], page 177:
   • The following brief remarks are ſelected or verified from the beſt guides in this ſtudy, the IVth volume of the works of Voſſius, the Bibliotheques of Fabricius, Du Fresnoy’s method of ſtudying hiſtory, chronology and geography, Walch’s Bibliotheca theologica, vol. III. &c. 1778, East Apthorp, Letters on the Prevalence of Christianity, Before Its Civil Establishment: With Observations on a Late History of the Decline of the Roman Empire, London: […] J. Robson, […], page 80:
   • A piece muſt be written, and what book more proper to attack, than one of character, no matter how juſtly; for tho’ it is far beneath a generous and honeſt ſpirit, to throw falſe lights on any man’s writings, or upon any conſideration, to miſrepreſent his ſentiments: yet there are thoſe, who to fill up a Bibliotheque and to ſwell the work, make no ſcruple of this practice. 1727, John Baillie, A Letter to Dr. —— in Answer to a Tract in the Bibliotheque Ancienne & Moderne, Relating to Some Passages in Dr. Freind’s History of Physick, London: […] J. Roberts […], page 5:
   • The Paſſage of the Letter from the Jews or Jeruſalem, according to the Greek Text, is this, Theſe very things were in the Writings and Memoirs of Nehemiah, and as it were making them a Bibliotheque, he had collected the Books of Kings, of the Prophets, and the Letters concerning the Donatives. 1699, L[ouis] E[llies] Du Pin (unknown translator), A Compleat History of the Canon and Writers, of the Books of the Old and New Testament, by Way of Dissertation: With Useful Remarks on That Subject, volume I (On the Books of the Old Testament), London: […] H. Rhodes, […]; T. Bennet, […]; A. Bell […]; D. Midwinter, and T. Leigh, […], page 4:
   • Shou'd I make a Collection of vvhat is vvritten by the beſt Authors of Antiquity in their Praiſes; ſhould I but refer you to vvhat Stobæus has Collected for 'em, ſince you mention vvhat he has done againſt 'em; ſhould I but tranſcribe vvhat ¹ Plutarch, ² Lodovicus Vives [Juan Luis Vives], ³ Speron Sperone, the moſt Learned of his Country-men, ⁴ Ribera [Francisco Ribera?], ⁵ Hilarion de Coſtè, ⁶ Scuderie, and a thouſand others have ſaid of 'em in Treatiſes vvritten expreſly in their Praiſes: ſhould I but ſearch all the Bibliotheques for a Catalogue of thoſe vvho vvere famous for their VVritings; […] 1691, [William Walsh], A Dialogue Concerning Women, Being a Defence of the Sex. […], London: […] R[ichard] Bentley […], and J[acob] Tonson […], →OCLC, pages 121–122:
2. (obsolete) A library.
   • Bibliothecary. The Keeper of a Bibliotheque, Library, or Place for Books. 1719, R[ichard] Browne, The English Expositor Improv’d: Being a Complete Dictionary, Teaching the Interpretation of the Most Difficult Words, Which Are Commonly Made Use of in Our English Tongue. […], 12th edition, London: […] W. Churchill, […]:
   • This invention of erecting libraries, eſpecially here at Rome, came from Aſinius Pollio, who by dedicating his Bibliotheque, containing all the books that ever were written, was the firſt that made the wits and workes of learned men, a publicke matter and a benefit to a Commonweale. 1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book XXXV.] The Estimation and Account That Was Made of Images in Times Past, Represented by Lively Pictures.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], 2nd tome, London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, page 523:
   • I intend in the winter to open a Bibliotheque, and remember, that you are to ſubſcribe a ſheet a year; let us try, likewiſe, if we cannot perſuade your brother to ſubſcribe another. 1755 March 20 (date written), James Boswell, The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. […], volume I, London: […] Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly, […], published 1791, →OCLC, page 156:
   • And therfore, my Lord, it ſeems very much to the purpoſe, ſince you govern and preſide in all ſignal Actions, that you never content your ſelf with a Mediocrity in things which are good and laudable; and ſince you have nothing of mean and vulgar, that you ſhould alſo cheriſh, above all others, the honour and reputation of poſſeſſing a Bibliotheque, the moſt perfect, the beſt furniſh’d and maintain’d of your time.[…]But you, my Lord, who have the reputation of knowing more then can be taught you, and who deprive your ſelf of all ſort of contentments, to enjoy, and plunge your ſelf, as it were, in the pleaſure which you take in courting good Authors; to you it is that it properly attains, to poſſeſs a Bibliotheque, the moſt auguſt, and ample, that hath ever been erected: to the end it may never be ſaid hereafter, that it was only for want of a little care which you might have had, that you did not beſtow this Piece upon the Publique; and of your ſelf, that all the actions of your life had not ſurpaſſed the moſt heroick exploits of the moſt illuſtrious perſons. 1661, Gabriel Naudeus, interpreted by Jo. Evelyn, Instructions Concerning Erecting of a Library: Presented to My Lord the President De Mesme, London: […] G. Bedle, and T. Collins, […], and J. Crook […], pages 9–10 and 18–19:

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