blue book en · NOUN
Etymology
The term dates back to the 15th century, when large blue velvet-covered books were used for record-keeping by the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Meanings
-
A book of statistics or almanac, usually published by an agency or as a trade publication.
"I was the flail of the Lord up in those parts, I may tell you, though you won't find it in any Blue-book."
1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see blue, book.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| blue books | Number=Plur | lexicographic |