hardcover
gb/hˈɑɹdkˌʌvɚ/ us/hˈɑɹdkˌʌvɚ/
A2
English
~ 3300
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Book with stiff protective cover
A book that has a hard cover instead of a soft one.
Usage pattern:
[someone] buys/reads/publishes a hardcover
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'hardcover' with 'hard copy'; the former refers specifically to a type of book binding, not a printed version of a document.
Synonyms
hardback (Completely interchangeable in most contexts; 'hardback' is more common in British English.)
Antonyms
paperback (A book with a flexible paper cover, the opposite of a hardcover.)
Collocations
hardcover edition
|hardcover book
|hardcover copy
|hardcover release
Themes
books
|publishing
|daily life
|education
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The novel was first released in hardcover before the paperback came out.
- I prefer to buy cookbooks in hardcover because they last longer.
- Her latest work is available in hardcover and e-book formats.
- The library’s hardcover collection is in excellent condition.
Learner examples
- I bought a hardcover of my favorite story.
- This hardcover is heavy to carry.
- The bookstore sells many hardcover books.
- I gave him a hardcover for his birthday.
Grammar
Dictionary form
hardcover
IPA
GB/hˈɑɹdkˌʌvɚ/
US/hˈɑɹdkˌʌvɚ/
Syllables & stress
hard - cov - er (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (hard)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: hardcover
- Plural: hardcovers
Word family
Expressions
in hardcover
1/ˈɪn hˈɑɹdkˌʌvɚ/
fixed phrase
Published as a hardcover book
When a book is available with a hard cover instead of a soft one.
Examples
- The biography is now available in hardcover.
- Her debut novel was released in hardcover last fall.