as in bookseller
one who is keenly devoted to books
a bookman since toddlerhood, he's never shown much interest in television or video games
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bookman
Subsequent chapters explore great bookmen of the Renaissance, from the Florentine tradesman Vespasiano da Bisticci and the Flemish illuminator Simon Bening to the English antiquarian Sir Robert Cotton — manuscript obsessives all.
—
Bruce Holsinger, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2023
Once asked to describe himself, McMurtry called himself a writer, a screenwriter — and perhaps most significantly, a bookman.
—Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2021
In the 1970s and ’80s, a flamboyant Texas bookman and one-time president of the ABAA named John Jenkins made money selling stolen and forged items to libraries and collectors.
—Travis McDade, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Aug. 2020
As bookmen and women became intelligence agents, the ordinary activities of librarianship—acquisition, cataloguing, and reproduction—became fraught with mystery, uncertainty, and even danger.
—Time, 3 Jan. 2020
Books would come in monthly, 10 or 15 at a time, carefully packed as only a bookman can pack books, and Dimunation would open them, eager for the riches inside.
—Jorge Dionis, Town & Country, 6 Dec. 2013
Bruce Holsinger, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2023
Once asked to describe himself, McMurtry called himself a writer, a screenwriter — and perhaps most significantly, a bookman.
—Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2021
In the 1970s and ’80s, a flamboyant Texas bookman and one-time president of the ABAA named John Jenkins made money selling stolen and forged items to libraries and collectors.
—Travis McDade, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Aug. 2020
As bookmen and women became intelligence agents, the ordinary activities of librarianship—acquisition, cataloguing, and reproduction—became fraught with mystery, uncertainty, and even danger.
—Time, 3 Jan. 2020
Books would come in monthly, 10 or 15 at a time, carefully packed as only a bookman can pack books, and Dimunation would open them, eager for the riches inside.
—Jorge Dionis, Town & Country, 6 Dec. 2013
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bookman
Noun
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Patchett’s life as a bookseller began around 2010, when the closing of two Nashville stores seemed to mirror a nationwide decline brought about in part by Amazon’s rise.—
Hillel Italie,
Fortune,
1 June 2026
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By Wednesday, thousands of calls to boycott the bookseller had flooded social media.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2026
Noun
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So, where are bibliophiles headed in 2026?—
Connor Sturges,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Apr. 2026
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In the sumptuousness of the bibliophile’s parlor, studying Black history occasioned reverent, joyous gatherings.—
Laura E. Helton,
Literary Hub,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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It was then owned by English antiquarian Thomas Phillipps, Swiss bibliophile Martin Bodmer and Austrian bookseller H.P. Kraus before making its way to the library.—
Lexi Lane,
PEOPLE,
24 May 2026
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This copy of Bede’s history went to renowned English antiquarian Thomas Phillipps.—
Andrea Rosa,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bookman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bookman. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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