book-worship
|book-wor-ship|
🇺🇸
/ˈbʊkˌwɝʃɪp/
🇬🇧
/ˈbʊkˌwɜːʃɪp/
reverence for books
Etymology
'book-worship' originates from English as a compound of 'book' and 'worship'. 'Book' comes from Old English 'bōc' meaning 'book' (originally related to 'beech' as writing was carved on beechwood), and 'worship' comes from Old English 'weorþscipe' meaning 'worthiness' or 'honor'.
'book' developed from Old English 'bōc' (with a root sense linked to 'beech'), and 'weorþscipe' evolved into Middle English 'worship' meaning 'honor' or 'reverence'; the compound 'book-worship' is a modern English coinage formed by combining the two words to express veneration of books.
Initially, 'book' was simply the word for a written volume and 'worship' meant 'honor' or 'reverence'; combined in modern usage they convey a critical sense of excessive or uncritical reverence toward books.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
excessive or unquestioning reverence for books as objects or authorities (often implying veneration of written texts over critical thought).
Her critique targeted the academic culture of book-worship, where citations mattered more than original thought.
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Noun 2
a figurative habit or tendency to treat a particular book or set of books as infallible or final authority.
The movement's book-worship turned a handbook into a doctrinal standard rather than a helpful guide.
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Last updated: 2025/10/16 20:03