Dewey decimal classification
- noun
- /ˈduːi ˈdɛsɪməl klæsɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
- Specialized
:
clasificación decimal Dewey
- The library uses the Dewey decimal classification to ensure that all nonfiction books are organized by subject.
Examples
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Non-fiction was arranged using the Dewey decimal classification system; every book had its proper place.
Blog text (31) -
Students learn how to find books easily thanks to the Dewey decimal classification system employed in the library.
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With the Dewey decimal classification, each book is assigned a unique number that helps in locating it on the shelves.
Synonyms
3
3.9
A way of arranging things into groups by their similar features
1
4.9
A way libraries put books in order by subject using numbers
A way to arrange books and other library materials by subject using numbers with a decimal point
Surface Forms
Morphology
Dewey + decimal + classification
The components 'decimal' and 'classification' transparently indicate a system of classifying items using a decimal-based scheme, so a learner who knows those words can infer a general meaning. However, the proper name 'Dewey' refers to a specific eponymous library system (three-digit numbers for books) and that library-specific application and conventions are cultural/encyclopedic knowledge not predictable from the words alone, so the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Dewey decimal classification comes from Melvil Dewey, a librarian who in the late 1800s made a simple system to sort books by number. He gave each subject a three-digit code and extra numbers after a dot, so books looked like they had address numbers on their spines — that's why the phrase means 'a way to organize books' in libraries.