library

/ˌlaɪˈbrʌri/

/ˈlaɪbrɛri/

Other forms: libraries

A library is a place where collections of books are kept. If you ever want a reminder of how very much there is to learn in this world, pay a visit to your local library.

The noun library, meaning, “a room or building where books are housed,” comes from the Latin librarium “chest for books.” That, in turn, evolved from the Latin liber, a word meaning “book, paper, parchment,” and, more literally, “the inner bark of trees.” The writer Jorge Luis Borges said, “I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.” What would your vision of paradise look like?

Definitions of library

1. noun

   a depository built to contain books and other materials for reading and study
   synonyms: depository library

   types:

   athenaeum, atheneum

   a place where reading materials are available

   circulating library, lending library

   library that provides books for use outside the building

   type of:

   deposit, depositary, depository, repository

   a facility where things can be deposited for storage or safekeeping
2. noun

   a room where books are kept
   type of:

   room

   an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
3. noun

   a building that houses a collection of books and other materials
   examples:

   United States National Library of Medicine

   the world's largest medical library

   type of:

   building, edifice

   a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
4. noun

   a collection of literary documents, records, or media kept for reference or borrowing
   types:

   bibliotheca

   a collection of books

   public library

   a nonprofit library maintained for public use

   rental collection

   a collection of books that can be rented by readers in return for a small daily fee

   type of:

   accumulation, aggregation, assemblage, collection

   several things grouped together or considered as a whole
5. noun

   (computing) a collection of standard programs and subroutines that are stored and available for immediate use
   synonyms: program library, subroutine library

   type of:

   accumulation, aggregation, assemblage, collection

   several things grouped together or considered as a whole