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Glite Dictionary
bookstall

bookstall

1 3.4
A small shop that sells books often in train stations or markets
  • noun
  • /ˈbʊkˌstɔl/
  • UK
translation icon : puesto de libros
  • While waiting for the train, I browsed the latest novels at the bookstall near the platform.

And at this time, at a visit during the local drugstore found in a bookstall the works of Arthur Machen.

Examples

  • My parents were in town, enjoying the bookstalls.

    Blog text (17)

  • There he is, Ashok, in another of his infernal white shirts, standing by a bookstall, his eyes searching the road.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • I went off to sleep on that nice warm spot behind the bookstall on Broadway.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • - You'll have to go to the bookstall.

    Brief Encounter (1945)

  • He comes across a bookstall in which a great number of old Greek books are for sale.

    Academic text (1997)

  • Dodger spots a well-dressed gentleman named Mr. Brownlow browsing at a bookstall.

    Academic text (2010)

  • He found a rare first edition at a small bookstall in the bustling market.

  • At the festival, numerous bookstalls offered books on various topics for every age group.

Synonyms

bookstore
vsbookstall
  • US
218 1.0

A shop that sells books to the public

is typically smaller and found in informal public spots like stations
bookshop
vsbookstall
  • UK
19 1.0

A shop that sells books

is smaller and often located in outdoor markets or transit areas
bookstand
vsbookstall
1 1.9

A small stall or table that sells books, often at a market

is a small stall or shop often found in busy public locations

How Big

bookshop
  • UK
19 1.0
bookstall
  • UK
1 3.4
bookstand
1 1.9

Surface Forms

bookstall singular
bookstalls plural

Morphology

bookstall = book + stall (transparent) = book + stall

The meaning 'a stall selling books' is a direct, literal combination of 'book' + 'stall' and is easily inferable by learners.

Etymology

The word bookstall is simply book + stall, where book is what you read and stall is like a 'market stall' meaning 'a small table or shop', so a bookstall is a small place that sells books.