I love “biblio” words. There’s something slightly sensuous about the way the word rolls off my tongue. And then there are the various meanings that come from dictionaries, print and online, general as well as specializing in obscure words, obsolete words, difficult words. I even used Tom Raabe’s Biblioholism to unearth a couple of biblio words that can not yet be found in a dictionary—but are so apt they surely will some day.  

Bibliobibuli = One who reads too much.

Bibliocharylodis = A dangerous whirlpool of books likely to drown unwary readers.

Biblioclast = A destroyer or mutilator of books. Biblioclasm is the destruction of books or destructive criticism of the bible.

Bibliodemon = A book-fiend.

Bibliogenesis =  The production of books.

Bibliognoste = One knowledgeable about title pages, colophons, editions and all minutiae of books and bibliography.

Bibliogony = Bibliogenesis

Bibliography =  A list of books on one subject or by one author. It can also be a list of books referred to in a text or used in its preparation. A  bibliographer is a person who compiles bibliographies.

Biblioholism = The habitual longing to purchase, read, store, admire and consume books in excess.

Biblioklept = One who occasionally steals a book.

Bibliokleptomanic = An chronic book thief.

Bibliolatry = The worship of books. A bibliolater is a worshipper of books.

Bibliolestes = A book-robber.

Bibliology = The study of books.

Biblioloigos = A book pest or plague.

Bibliomancy = Divination using books or Bible passages

Bibliomane = An indiscriminate accumulator of books.

Bibliomaniac = A book lover gone mad.

Biblionarcissist = One who pretends to be more bookish than she or he really is.

Bibliopegy = The art of book binding. A bibliopegic or bibliopegist is one who binds books.

Bibliophagy = Voracious reading of books; eating of books. A bibliophagic or bibliophagist is a devourer of books, literally or figuratively. 

Bibliophily = The love of books and reading. A bibliophile is a lover of books.

Bibliophobe = One who fears books. Bibliophobia is the fear of books.

Bibliophthor = A book-destroyer or waster.

Bibliopoesy = The making of books.

Bibliopole / Bibliopolist = A bookseller, especially of rare books. Bibliopolery, bibliopolism and bibliopoly are interchangeable terms for the selling of books.

Biblioriptos = One who throws books around.

Bibliosopher = One who gains wisdom from books; another word for bibliognoste.

Bibliotaph(e) = One who keeps her or his books secret, locked up or buried.

Bibliothec(a) = Library. A bibliothecary is a librarian, and bibliothetic means pertaining to the arrangement of books.

Bibliotics = Study of documents to determine authenticity.

Bibliowebbies = Bibliomaniacs who web-shop until they drop.


Almost since her childhood days of Mother Goose, Lauren has been giving her opinion on books to anyone who will listen. That “talent” eventually took her out of magazine writing and into book reviewing in 2000 for an online review site where she cut her teeth (as well as a few authors). Stints as book editor for her local newspaper and contributing editor to Booklist and Bookmarks magazines has reinforced her belief that she has interesting things to say about books. Lauren shares her home with several significant others including three cats, nearly 1,300 bookmarks and approximately 1,200 books that, whether previously read or not, constitute her to-be-read stack. She is a member of the National Books Critics Circle (NBCC) as well as a longtime book design judge for Publishers Marketing Association’s Benjamin Franklin Awards. Contact Lauren.