[Cf. MLG. jârbôk, MDu. jaerboeck (Du. jaarboek), OHG. jârpuoh (G. jahrbuch), etc.]
1. pl. The books of reports of cases in the English law-courts published annually during several periods from the reign of Edward II. to that of Henry VIII.
1588. Fraunce, Lawiers Logike, I. xvii. 61 b. Uncoherent cases in yeare-bookes.
1639. Sanderson, Serm. (1657), II. ix. 189. The Reports and year-books of our Common Law.
1688. Sir E. Herbert, Acc. Auth. Hales’s Case, 12. Plowden, who … is as little like to be mistaken in the sense of the Year-books as any Reporter we have.
1796. Seward, Anecd., IV. 501. [Ld. Mansfield] said, that, when he was young, few persons would confess they had not read a considerable part, at least, of the Year Books.
1824. J. Johnson, Typographia, I. 431. It has been supposed that Pynson printed above forty year-books.
2. A book published annually and containing information for the year, e.g., in connection with a society or religious denomination; an annual.
1710. Steele, Tatler, No. 261, ¶ 4. The following Fragment out of much more which is written in my Year-Book.
1839. Timbs (title), The Year-book of Facts in Science and Art: exhibiting the most important discoveries and improvements of the past year.
1847. (title) The Congregational Year Book, for 1846.
1858. Simmonds, Dict. Trade, Year-book, an annual; a book of law cases; a turf register.
1883. (title) The official Year-book of the Church of England.
3. A book of information about the various days and seasons of the year, as Hone’s Year-Book (1829).
