Dictionary

handbook en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• [ˈheənd-] (Australia, General-American)
• (US) audio
• /ˈhandˌbʉk/ (Northern-Ireland, Scotland)
• /ˈhɛndˌbʊk/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˈhændˌbʊk/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈhɛəndˌbʊk] (Australia, General-American)
• /ˈhandˌbɵk/ (British, Southern, Standard)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈhændˌbʊk/ (Australia, General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English handbok, from Old English handbōc (“handbook”), possibly reinforced as a calque of German Handbuch (“handbook”). By surface analysis, hand + book. Compare West Frisian hânboek (“handbook”), Dutch handboek (“handbook”), German Low German Handbook (“handbook”), Danish håndbog (“handbook”), Swedish handbok (“handbook”), Icelandic handbók (“handbook”).

Meanings

1. A topically organized book of reference on a certain field of knowledge, regardless of size, but archetypally one to be kept readily at hand.
2. (US) A place where illicit bets can be placed.
   • Persons subject to his rule can be found operating, in addition to the wire service, wire service relays, handbooks, gambling houses, prostitution establishments, coin-operated device companies, bars, restaurants, night clubs, motels, […] 1961, United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Government Operations. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Gambling and Organized Crime: Hearings:
   • The extent of the business done in this line is not understood by those who have not looked into it. In New York there are 50 pool rooms and 500 handbooks; in East St. Louis, 20 handbooks; in Chicago, 5 pool rooms and 200 handbooks; […] 1916, U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on interstate commerce, Prevention of Transmission of Race-gambling Bets, page 23:

Forms

Coordinates

sportsbook

Deriveds

handbooking · employee handbook

Relateds

bookie

Synonyms

enchiridion · manual

Translations (74)

vi sổ tay (a book of reference) · cy llawlyfr (a book of reference) · mk у́патство (a book of reference) · he ספר שימוש \ סֵפֶר שִׁמּוּשׁ (a book of reference) · ko 핸드북 (a book of reference) · ko 편람 (a book of reference) · ja ハンドブック (a book of reference) · ar كُتَيِّب (a book of reference) · he סֵפֶר עֵזֶר (a book of reference) · eo manlibro (a book of reference) · es enquiridión (a book of reference) · hu segédkönyv (a book of reference) · sv handbok (a book of reference) · hu kézikönyv (a book of reference) · cs příručka (a book of reference) · bg наръ́чник (a book of reference) · mk при́рачник (a book of reference) · ro manual (a book of reference) · grc ἐγχειρίδιον (a book of reference) · hy ձեռնարկ (a book of reference) · ru спра́вочник (a book of reference) · eu gidaliburu (a book of reference) · ang handbōc (a book of reference) · be даве́днік (a book of reference) · he סֵפֶר כִּיס (a book of reference) · sh upùtstvo (a book of reference) · fi käsikirja (a book of reference) · fy hânboek (a book of reference) · cmn 手冊 /手册 (a book of reference) · yi האַנטבוך (a book of reference) · pl podręcznik (a book of reference) · uk довідни́к (a book of reference) · ms buku panduan (a book of reference) · cmn 便覽 /便览 (a book of reference) · es prontuario (a book of reference) · th คู่มือ (a book of reference) · uk посі́бник (a book of reference) · el εγχειρίδιο (a book of reference) · it manuale (a book of reference) · ja 手帖 (a book of reference) · sh упу̀тство (a book of reference) · sh príručnīk (a book of reference) · lt vadovėlis (a book of reference) · hi लघु ग्रंथ (a book of reference) · sl priročnik (a book of reference) · tl dalaklat (a book of reference) · ja 手帳 (a book of reference) · da håndbog (a book of reference) · lv rokasgrāmata (a book of reference) · mi pukapuka aratohu (a book of reference) · it guida (a book of reference) · yi האַנטביכל (a book of reference) · nb håndbok (a book of reference) · id buku pegangan (a book of reference) · gd leabhar-làimhe (a book of reference) · ja 便覧 (a book of reference) · eu eskuliburu (a book of reference) · fr manuel (a book of reference) · ar دَلِيل (a book of reference) · pt manual (a book of reference) · ru посо́бие (a book of reference) · de Handbuch (a book of reference) · nl handboek (a book of reference) · ja 案内書 (a book of reference) · sd دَستِينامو (a book of reference) · sk príručka (a book of reference) · is handbók (a book of reference) · ko 안내서 (a book of reference) · sh при́ручнӣк (a book of reference) · et käsiraamat (a book of reference) · bg справо́чник (a book of reference) · hu tankönyv (a book of reference) · az vəsait (a book of reference) · es manual (a book of reference)