bibliography

bib·li·og·ra·phy

noun \ˌbi-blē-ˈä-grə-fē\

plural bib·li·og·ra·phies

Definition of BIBLIOGRAPHY

1

: the history, identification, or description of writings or publications

2

a : a list often with descriptive or critical notes of writings relating to a particular subject, period, or author

b : a list of works written by an author or printed by a publishing house

3

: the works or a list of the works referred to in a text or consulted by the author in its production

— bib·lio·graph·ic \ˌbi-blē-ə-ˈgra-fik\ also bib·lio·graph·i·cal \-fi-kəl\ adjective

— bib·lio·graph·i·cal·ly \-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

Examples of BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. The instructor provided the students with an excellent bibliography on local history.
2. The book includes a lengthy bibliography.

Origin of BIBLIOGRAPHY

probably from New Latin bibliographia, from Greek, the copying of books, from bibli- + -graphia -graphy

First Known Use: 1802

bibliography

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Broadly, the systematic study and description of books. The word can refer to the listing of books according to some system (called descriptive, or enumerative, bibliography), to the study of books as tangible objects (called critical, or analytical, bibliography), or to the product of those activities. The purpose of bibliography is to organize information about materials on a given subject so that students of the subject may have access to it. A descriptive bibliography may take the form of information about a particular author's works or about works on a given subject or on a particular nation or period. Critical bibliography, which emerged in the early 20th century, involves meticulous descriptions of the physical features of books, including the paper, binding, printing, typography, and production processes used, to help establish such facts as printing dates and authenticity.