notebook

notebook — noun

1. 一疊空白或橫線紙張裝訂成冊的小本子，用來書寫筆記、課業或隨手記錄事情。

1.nounA2
Definition

一疊空白或橫線紙張裝訂成冊的小本子，用來書寫筆記、課業或隨手記錄事情。

Example

Karim bought a new notebook for his biology class.

countable noun for a paper book for notes

The teacher asked everyone to bring a notebook to the lecture.

Common collocations
  • spiral notebook
  • notebook paper
  • fill a notebook
  • notebook for chemistry
  • cover of a notebook
  • pages of a notebook
Synonyms
  • notepad

    usually smaller, with tear-off sheets rather than bound pages

  • exercise book

    British term for a notebook used for schoolwork, often with lined pages

  • journal

    suggests a more personal book for daily thoughts, not just factual notes

Usage Note

A notebook is different from a notepad — notebooks are usually bound and have more pages, while notepads have sheets that can be torn off easily.

Common Mistakes

I wrote the date on my notebook.
I wrote the date in my notebook.
You write on the page, but you write information in the notebook as a whole.
I need a notebook for my homework.' (when the student means a single piece of paper)
I need a piece of paper for my homework.
A notebook is a bound book, not a single sheet.

2. 一種可以摺疊攜帶的小型個人電腦，又稱為筆記型電腦或筆電，靠電池供電，方便隨身使用。

2.nounA2
Definition

一種可以摺疊攜帶的小型個人電腦，又稱為筆記型電腦或筆電，靠電池供電，方便隨身使用。

Example

Élise turned on her notebook to check her email.

countable noun for a portable computer

The programmer carries two notebooks to work every day.

Common collocations
  • notebook computer
  • notebook battery
  • notebook screen
  • turn on a notebook
  • close a notebook
  • notebook charger
  • work on a notebook
Synonyms
  • laptop

    now largely synonymous with notebook; may suggest a slightly larger or more powerful machine

  • portable computer

    a broader term that also includes older, bulkier portable machines

Antonyms

Usage Note

In everyday modern usage, notebook and laptop are largely interchangeable. However, notebook sometimes refers to a thinner, lighter model designed mainly for basic tasks, while laptop typically includes a wider range of portable computers including more powerful machines. The term notebook computer was popularised in the late 1980s when manufacturers made portable PCs about the size of a paper notebook.

Common Mistakes

I turned off my notebook's cover.
I closed my notebook.
We say close or shut a notebook computer, not turn off its cover.
My notebook's battery is died.
My notebook battery is dead.
The possessive form is not used for the battery of a device in natural English.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Notebook is the general term for a bound book of blank or lined paper used for writing notes. A notepad is typically smaller, with sheets that can be torn off easily, making it convenient for quick, disposable notes. An exercise book is a British term for a thin notebook used in schools, usually with lined pages for writing assignments. A journal suggests a more personal, reflective purpose — people keep a journal for daily thoughts or feelings rather than for class notes or factual records. A spiral notebook has a wire or plastic spiral binding that lets it lie flat, a design feature commonly used by students. For everyday note-taking in class or at work, notebook is the most neutral and widely understood choice.

notepadexercise bookjournal ↗spiral notebook

Etymology

LatinEnglishOld English

Notebook is formed by combining note (from Latin nota, meaning a mark or sign) and book (from Old English bōc, meaning a written document or collection of pages). The word has been used since the 1500s for a small bound book used to record notes. The modern sense referring to a portable computer emerged in the late 1980s, when manufacturers began producing small, foldable personal computers roughly the size of a paper notebook, hence the name.