bookshelf

noun

book·​shelf ˈbu̇k-ˌshelf How to pronounce bookshelf (audio)
: an open shelf for holding books

Examples of bookshelf in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
All of the rooms are warm and inviting, with a river-rock fireplace in the living room and the library done up with floor-to-ceiling knotty pine bookshelves. — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026 Mining the bookshelf for stories is hardly novel for Hollywood. — Saba Hamedy, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2026 On her modest bookshelf, Gurdon already had useful models of self-sufficiency. — Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Oct. 2026 The bookshelves were made by Jeffrey Cayle, a carpenter who also built the home’s two guest cottages. — Rebecca Flint Marx, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bookshelf

Word History

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bookshelf was in 1648

Rhymes for bookshelf

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Browse Nearby Words

book-sewing
bookshelf
bookshop
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Cite this Entry

“Bookshelf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bookshelf. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bookshelf

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