Definition of bibliography

The word "bibliography" comes from the Greek words "biblios" meaning "book" and "graphia" meaning "writing" or "description". The term was first coined in the 16th century to describe the description or cataloging of books. In the 17th and 18th centuries, bibliographers began to write literary histories and catalogs of books, which helped to establish the field of bibliography as we know it today. Over time, the scope of bibliography expanded to include not just the description of books but also the study of how they were produced, disseminated, and used. Today, bibliography is an important tool for scholars, researchers, and book lovers, helping to identify and contextualize written works across various disciplines. The American English usage of the word can be traced back to the early 17th century, while the term gained more widespread use in the 18th and 19th centuries.