The Way Things Are

Glossary

octavo

Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...[more]

First Edition

In collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in cases...[more]

gilt

The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...[more]

jacket

Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...[more]

spine

The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....[more]

Cloth

"Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...[more]