incunabulum
9.9
A book printed before 1501 during the first years of printing in Europe
- noun
- /ˌɪn.kjuˈnæb.jə.ləm/
- Specialized
:
incunable
- Later, in Barcelona, he sets fire to the house of his rival and primary victim, Patxot, to conceal his theft of the Lambert Palmart incunabulum.
Examples
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Scholars often study an incunabulum to understand the early techniques of bookmaking and typography.
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The library has a rare incunabulum that was printed in the 15th century and is carefully preserved.
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(n1) Durer's career extended into the time when the book was no longer in the incunabulum state.
Academic text (2000) -
During my research, I discovered an incunabulum that provided valuable insights into pre-Reformation literature.
Synonyms
9.9
A book printed before 1501 when printing first began in Europe
means the same but uses a different form or spelling of the term
Surface Forms
incunabulum singular
incunabula plural
Etymology
Incunabulum comes from Latin parts in- 'in' and cunabulum 'cradle', so it literally means 'in the cradle'. That's why the word is used for books from the very early days of printing — the first books made in the 'cradle' of the printing press around 1500.
