rule bookn.adj.
/ˈruːl bʊk/, U.S. /ˈrul ˌbʊk/ A. n.
A book of rulings, rules, or regulations. In later use frequently figurative with reference to accustomed or conventional behaviour.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > control > [noun] > regulation > a regulation or rule > book of
ordinala1393
rule book1586
book of rules1639
book1848
book of words1929
1586 Disbursement Bk. 3 Feb. in S. Adams Househ. Accts. & Disbursement Bks. Earl of Leicester (1995) 373 Paied by yor Ex: commandmt the vth of february to mr. Wylliam Clerke Doctour of the Civill law for the printing & bynding of rewle booke of the mylitary lawes.
1654 T. Fuller Ephemeris Parliamentaria 129 A rule of the Court, which was cited out of the rule book of the Court of Kings-bench.
1734 List of Fees 43 For entring an ordinary Rule in the Rule Book.
1766 Gazetteer & New Daily Advertiser 28 Feb. When I entered upon that office, I thereby came to have all the records and rule-books on the Crown side of the Court in my own power.
1831 Q. Jrnl. Educ. 1 267 We remember to have seen a rule-book of algebra which recommended itself to the masters, on the ground of saving them from being ‘pestered with questions’.
1897 Westm. Gaz. 6 Apr. 9/3 The rule book of the Old English Sheep-dog Club.
1910 W. M. Raine Bucky O'Connor 13 The situation was one not covered in the company's rule book.
1954 W. Faulkner Fable 113 Germans fight wars by the rule-books.
1989 Independent 16 Jan. 11/2 Prospective gamers must master a massive rule book.
2005 Vanity Fair (N.Y.) July 130/2 He was..willing to take risks and go outside of the rule book to get the job done.
B. adj. (attributive).
Sticking strictly to the rules; according to or as defined by the rules; legitimate.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > control > [adjective] > regulating > according to regulation or rule
preceptial1600
reglementary1800
preceptual1860
rule book1917
1917 Open Court Jan. (end matter) (advt.) It is not at all necessary to be a rule book philosopher to get good out of the learned sayings of Wang Yang Ming.
1945 F. H. Hubbard Railroad Avenue ii. 10 Casey was never the type known as a ‘rule-book engineer’.
1968 Punch 20 Mar. 417/3 Despite some fierce and not altogether rulebook tackling by their opponents, the Students were..taking the game right into the Police half.
1992 J. Stern & M. Stern Encycl. Pop Culture 152/1 The role of Friday's foil was eventually taken over by Ben Alexander, playing Officer Frank Smith, a character..that contrasted with Friday's rule-book disposition.
1998 N.Y. Times 9 Oct. c20/1 Umpires long ago stopped using the rule-book strike zone, ignoring the part of the zone above the waist.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2011; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.adj.1586