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.
Her sculptural bookshelf and semicircular floor lamps possess a molten heft—their softened edges appearing raw and time-weathered. Leonora Epstein, Architectural Digest, 7 Nov. 2025 The other system, the Flex Micro, is comparable in size to a slim bookshelf and can grow up to six pounds of microgreens in as little as seven to 14 days. Alec Johnson, jsonline.com, 4 Nov. 2025 Tall bookshelves were packed with volumes of film history and back issues of Sight and Sound; there was a standing desk, a small gray couch, and a red velvet chair that looked as if it might have been torn out of a movie theatre. Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025 Stack them on a bookshelf in the playroom or bedroom, and make the labels easy to read. Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Nov. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bookshelf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bookshelf. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.

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