library fine
1
2.3
- noun
- /ˈlaɪbrəri faɪn/
:
multa de biblioteca
- - So then they tell me I have to pay this huge library fine before I can do anything.
Examples
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So, if you've ever had to pay a 13-year-old library fine for those Goosebumps books you borrowed when you were 11, you know who to thank.
Blog text (7) -
- What, like getting a $663 library fine, for books you can't even remember borrowing.
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I don't get mad at myself over a few dollars in library fines anymore.
Blog text (11) -
"Greed" makes everyone better off if it is not part of fraud or coercion (which is, we must remember, the basis of government -- all laws are enforced only by the use or threat of deadly force, even library fines).
Blog text (24) -
Margo Reed, who earned about $43,000 a year and was described as a conscientious, trusted, and well-liked longtime employee, was responsible for taking $163,582 in library fines collected by the three public library branches in Yonkers.
Blog text (8) -
I recently had to pay a library fine because I returned my books late.
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The library sent me a notice about a library fine for the overdue materials.
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After failing to return the DVDs on time, I was shocked by the size of my library fine.
Synonyms
321
2.8
Money paid as a punishment for breaking a law or rule
160
2.9
A sum of money you must pay for breaking a contract
How Much
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'library' (place/institution) modifies 'fine' (a monetary penalty), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it is a penalty charged by a library. This noun–noun compound follows a regular English pattern and has clear cross-linguistic equivalents, making the MWE immediately understandable.
Etymology
The phrase library fine comes from the simple idea of a library charging a fine, a small money penalty, when a book is returned 'late'. So it means the money you must pay for bringing borrowed books back after the due date.