picture-book

1 of 2

adjective

pic·​ture-book ˈpik-chər-ˌbu̇k How to pronounce picture-book (audio)
: suitable for or suggestive of a picture book: such as

picture book

2 of 2

noun

: a book that consists wholly or chiefly of pictures

Examples of picture-book in a Sentence

Adjective the players gave a picture-book performance that will go down in the annals of football as one of the all-time great games
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.
Adjective
Labubus were inspired by drawings of cuddly monsters that appeared in a picture-book series by artist Kasing Leung. Joan Verdon, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025 On Wednesday, Christmas Day, not many locations will see the fresh snowfall of picture-book holidays. Nikki Nolan, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2024
Noun
Some children were at the Miami protest with their parents, including four-year-old Ellie MacLaren, who was sitting on the grass near the Torch of Friendship flipping through a picture book of dragons and castles and placing dragon stickers on the pages. Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2025 This low-budget modern classic tells the terrifying tale of a mother, her son, and a freaky picture book that just won't go away, creating the kind of atmospheric chaos that takes up residence in your head forever. Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for picture-book

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1922, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1699, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of picture-book was in 1699

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Picture-book.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/picture-book. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

picture book

noun
: a book that consists entirely or chiefly of pictures
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!