handbook

Everyday

A handbook is a small book that gives useful facts and instructions about a subject, or rules about a place, such as a school or a club. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life schools give families a school handbook with rules, times and uniform lists. Scouts, Guides and many clubs have handbooks. Workers get a staff handbook. In science, a field handbook helps you identify birds or plants. It tells the reader where to find the rules or the facts.

Examples

• Read the school handbook to find the uniform rules. tree →
• The bird handbook helped us name the robin. tree →
• Every new Cub Scout gets a handbook. tree →
• The staff handbook explains what to do in a fire drill. tree →
• Check the handbook before you set up the tent. tree →
• The teacher's handbook lists all the science experiments. tree →

Note

Countable. One word. Similar to «manual» (instructions for a machine) and «guide»; a handbook is usually a reference you keep looking things up in.