reference book

Thân thiện

The student consults a thick reference book in the library.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A book designed to be consulted for specific information rather than read cover-to-cover: A reference book is a source of factual information on various subjects, organized for quick and efficient lookup. It is typically used to find definitions, facts, data, or summaries.

Usage

• are used for research, verification of facts, or quick information retrieval. They are commonly found in libraries in a non-circulating reference section.
• They are characterized by their structured organization, such as alphabetical order (dictionaries, encyclopedias) or systematic indexing.

Examples

• Noun:
  • For her history paper, she spent hours in the library consulting various reference books.
  • An encyclopedia is a classic example of a reference book.
  • The librarian directed me to the reference book section to find the statistical data.

Advanced Usage

• "To consult a reference book": To look up information in a reference book.
  • Before writing the report, he needed to consult a reference book on legal terms.

Variants and Related Words

• Reference work (n): A broader term synonymous with , often referring to multi-volume sets or comprehensive compilations.
  • The Oxford English Dictionary is a monumental reference work.

Synonyms

• Sourcebook: A book providing fundamental source material on a subject.
• Handbook: A concise reference book providing specific information or instruction about a subject or place.

Related Phrases

• Reference section/library: The area in a library where reference books are kept for use on-site.
  • All the atlases are located in the reference section.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a book to which you can refer for authoritative facts
   • he contributed articles to the basic reference work on that topic

Từ đồng nghĩa

• reference
• reference work
• book of facts