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.
Because many designs in the 1970s focused on open-concept designs, noise in the previous building could be distracting for classes, and teachers had made makeshift walls using bookshelves in an attempt to keep noise out, Bookhout said. Imani Cruzen, Twin Cities, 19 Oct. 2025 On the second floor, standing next to wooden bookshelves running as high as six stacks, Peter Sones, 62, and his wife, Lesley Sones, 64, were among the first to visit. Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2025 Those ashes came back with us on the flight and have been sitting on a bookshelf on our porch all this time. R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2025 Those ashes came back with us on the flight and have been sitting on our porch in a bookshelf all this time. R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 17 Oct. 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 29 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on bookshelf

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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