What does bibliophile mean?
Word: Bibliophile
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Bibliophile means a person who loves books and often collects them, especially rare or beautiful ones.
Synonyms: book lover
Word origin: Came into English in the early 1800s from French, which built it from two Greek words: one for a book and one for loving.
How do you spell bibliophile?
Syllables: bib - li - o - phile
Tricky part: The f sound near the end is spelt ph, and the word closes with a silent e after the l. Writers who go by sound alone end up with bibliofile.
Watch out for: bibliofile, bibliophil, bibliophyle
Memory tip: Philosophy and philanthropy hold the same Greek idea of loving as this book-lover's word, and that love is always written with ph, never f.
Bibliophile in a sentence
Example 1: Grandpa is a bibliophile who wraps every new book in brown paper before he reads it.
Example 2: The second-hand bookshop near the station is a favourite stop for bibliophiles from all over the city.
Example 3: As a true bibliophile, Clara asked for a bookshelf rather than a bicycle for her birthday.
Fun Fact
Only about 500 hardback copies of the first Harry Potter book were printed in 1997, which makes one a prize for bibliophiles; a fine copy has sold at auction for more than a hundred thousand pounds.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Champ
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
bibl____phile
a) io
b) eo
c) o
d) ia
Show answer
a) io. The book-lover's word keeps io here, the same pair that sits in bibliography.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with their meanings:
1. bibliophile 2. philatelist 3. numismatist a. someone who collects stamps b. someone who studies or collects coins c. someone for whom books are a lifelong passion
a) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
b) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
c) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
d) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
Show answer
a) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b. Stamps belong to the philatelist and coins to the numismatist, so the passion for books is left for the first word.
Word Tally
Score 2 marks for each correctly spelt word. What is the total score?
bibliophile, anthology, glosary, paperback, editer, publisher
a) 6
b) 10
c) 8
d) 12
Show answer
c) 8. Glossary needs a double s and editor ends in or, so only four words earn their 2 marks.
Sound Check
In which word is 'ile' pronounced differently?
a) textile
b) simile
c) crocodile
d) bibliophile
Show answer
b) simile. Simile ends with a sound like the ly of happily; in the other three the ending rhymes with mile.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which present would most delight a bibliophile?
a) a leather-bound set of classic novels
b) a ticket to a football final
c) a box of watercolour paints
d) a new pair of running shoes
Show answer
a) a leather-bound set of classic novels
2. Meera says she is a bibliophile. Which habit fits that best?
a) She bakes bread for her neighbours on Sundays
b) She never passes a library sale without stopping
c) She keeps a daily diary of the weather
d) She runs five kilometres every morning
Show answer
b) She never passes a library sale without stopping
