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Added 9 October 2026

handbook

/ˈhændˌbʊk/ noun

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about handbook at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A topically organized book of reference on a certain field of knowledge, regardless of size, but archetypally one to be kept readily at hand.
A place where illicit bets can be placed.

Origin

From Middle English handbok, from Old English handbōc (“handbook”), possibly reinforced as a calque of German Handbuch (“handbook”). By surface analysis, hand + book. Compare West Frisian hânboek (“handbook”), Dutch handboek (“handbook”), German Low German Handbook (“handbook”), Danish håndbog (“handbook”), Swedish handbok (“handbook”), Icelandic handbók (“handbook”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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