Definition

1. Noun:
   • A complete book; a comprehensive treatise: Refers to a book or written work that aims to cover all aspects of a particular subject or field comprehensively.
   • An encyclopedia; a compendium: Specifically denotes a large reference work containing detailed information on many branches of knowledge or on a specific subject, arranged systematically.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • "Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư" là một bộ sử liệu quý giá. ("Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư" is a valuable historical chronicle.)
  • Anh ấy đang biên soạn một bộ toàn thư về động vật học. (He is compiling an encyclopedia of zoology.)
  • Cuốn sách này được coi như một toàn thư của ngành y học cổ truyền. (This book is considered a comprehensive treatise on traditional medicine.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in the titles of classical Vietnamese or Sinospheric scholarly works to indicate their authoritative and exhaustive nature.
  • "Thiên Nam ngữ lục toàn thư" lưu giữ nhiều truyện thơ dân gian. ("Thiên Nam ngữ lục toàn thư" preserves many folk narrative poems.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bách khoa toàn thư (n): encyclopedia. This is the more common modern compound for "encyclopedia."
  • Tôi tra cứu thông tin trong bách khoa toàn thư. (I look up information in the encyclopedia.)

Synonyms

• Encyclopedia: A book or set of books giving information on many subjects or on many aspects of one subject.
• Compendium: A collection of concise but detailed information about a particular subject.
• Treatise: A written work dealing formally and systematically with a subject.

Related Idioms

• While not a standalone idiom, the word is a key component in the title of many revered historical texts, implying ultimate authority and completeness on the subject matter.