Definition

A book that explains the symbols used in a code and what they mean, often including a list of words or phrases with their corresponding codes.

Example

The researcher referred to the codebook to understand the data collected from the survey.

Conversation

Have you seen my codebook? I can't find it anywhere.

No, I haven't. What does it look like?

It's a blue book with all the symbols and their meanings inside.

Maybe you left it at the library last time you were there.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Codebook → It is formed from "code" (from Latin *codex*, meaning a book or manuscript) and "book" (from Old English *bōc*, meaning a written work). A codebook is essentially a book that contains codes or a system of symbols used for communication.

Memory Tip

Think of a 'code' as a system of symbols and a 'book' as a written work — together, a codebook is a written work that contains a system of codes.

Visually Confused Words