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Glite Dictionary
ex libris

ex libris

9.9
A small paper label with the owner's name or picture glued inside a book to show who owns it
  • noun
  • /ɛks ˈlɪbrɪs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ex libris
  • He placed his ex libris inside the front cover to show that the book belonged to him.

Examples

  • Yehiel explained to me that that was his father's ex libris and said, "That is the most faithful reflection of him." "That chicken?" I asked, fearful and amazed.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • "But Father insisted on drawing his ex libris himself.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Ex Libris

    Blog text (15)

  • Many collectors enjoy finding antique books with a unique ex libris that reveals the previous owner's name.

  • She has a beautiful ex libris featuring her initials, which she uses in all her personal library books.

Synonyms

bookplate
vsex libris
1 7.8

A decorative label pasted inside a book to show the owner's name

is a plain label pasted inside a book to show ownership

Surface Forms

ex libris singular
ex libris plural

Morphology

ex + libris

Although 'ex libris' literally comes from Latin meaning 'from the books (of)', the conventional English sense — a bookplate or label showing ownership — is a specialized, conventionalized term not predictable from the literal components. Even if a learner knew the Latin parts, the jump from 'from the books' to 'a label pasted in a book to show ownership' is not transparent to an average B1 learner.

Etymology

Ex libris comes from Latin: the two words are ex 'from' and libris 'books'. People pasted a small label saying Ex libris and their name inside the front cover to show the book belonged to them, so today ex libris means a book ownership label.