A B C Et Cetera: The Life and Times of the Roman Alphabet

spine : The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf. Also known as the back.

wrappers : Paperback or softbound. Also, wraps.

tight : Used to mean that the binding of a book has not been overly loosened by frequent use.

8vo : Short for Octavo, A book whose page size is approximately 8-10 inches tall. The size is based on a sheet of paper 25 inches by 38 inches, the size of paper traditionally used by book printers, which has been folded and cut into 16 pages.. Unfortunately often misunderstood to mean 8 volumes.