bank-book

A customer updates their bank-book at the counter.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A "bank-book" is a physical record or ledger issued by a financial institution to a depositor, containing a detailed history of deposits, withdrawals, and interest earned on a bank account. It is also known as a passbook.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • She checked her bank-book to verify the last deposit. (She looked at the physical record to confirm the transaction.)
  • The teller updated the bank-book with the new balance after the withdrawal. (The bank employee added the latest information to the ledger.)

Advanced Usage

• "to balance one's bank-book": to compare the entries in the bank-book with one's own financial records to ensure accuracy.

  • Every month, he balances his bank-book against the bank statement. (He reconciles the physical ledger with the official statement.)

• "bank-book entry": a specific line or notation in the bank-book recording a transaction.

  • The bank-book entry for the deposit was dated incorrectly. (The recorded line had a wrong date.)

Variants and Related Words

• Passbook (n): a synonym for bank-book, commonly used in some regions.

  • The passbook shows all transactions since the account was opened. (The physical record details the account history.)

• Bank statement (n): a periodic summary of account activity issued by the bank, often digital, distinct from a continuously updated bank-book.

  • The bank statement listed all transactions for the month. (The summary document differed from the ongoing record in the bank-book.)

Synonyms

• Passbook: a small book issued by a bank for recording deposits and withdrawals.
• Account ledger: a book or digital record of financial transactions.

Related Idioms

• "Read someone's bank-book": to examine or assess someone's financial status.
  • The loan officer read his bank-book to determine creditworthiness. (The officer reviewed the physical record to evaluate financial health.)

Notes

• In modern banking, bank-books have largely been replaced by digital statements and online banking, but they remain in use in some regions or for specific account types (e.g., savings accounts for children or in rural areas). The term emphasizes the physical, book-like format.