dust-jacket
Definition
Noun: - A removable paper cover used to protect a book's binding, typically printed with decorative or informational material such as the title, author, and a summary of the book's content.
Usage Examples
- (The removable paper cover is intact and well-preserved.)
- (The protective cover adds value to the item.)
- (She took off the paper cover to avoid damaging it.)
Advanced Usage
"in dust-jacket": Describes a book that still has its original cover.
- This antique volume is sold in dust-jacket, which is rare for its age. (The book includes its protective paper cover, making it more valuable.)
"dust-jacket design": The artistic or typographic arrangement on the cover.
- The dust-jacket design for this 1920s novel is considered a masterpiece of Art Deco. (The visual layout on the cover is highly praised.)
Variants and Related Words
Dust jacket (n): an alternative spelling without the hyphen.
- The dust jacket is torn, but the book itself is unharmed. (The paper cover is damaged, but the binding is fine.)
Jacket (n): a shorter term often used informally to mean the same thing.
- The jacket of this hardcover is illustrated with a beautiful painting. (The paper cover has a painting on it.)
Synonyms
- Book cover: a general term for any protective covering of a book, though often referring to the hard binding itself rather than the removable paper.
- Wrapper: an older or more technical term for the paper cover.
- The wrapper was designed to attract buyers in the bookstore. (The paper cover served as promotional material.)
Related Idioms
"dust-jacket blurb": A promotional description printed on the inside flaps of the dust-jacket.
- The dust-jacket blurb promised an exciting adventure, but the book was disappointing. (The text on the cover flaps was misleading.)
"without a dust-jacket": Used to describe a book lacking its original paper cover.
- The library copy is without a dust-jacket, so it looks plain. (The book has no removable cover.)