† 1. A book composed of tablets for memoranda; a pocket note-book or memorandum-book. Obs.
1596. Nashe, Saffron Walden, Wks. (Grosart), III. 67. Registers … busie with their Table-books … to gather phrases.
1602. Shaks., Ham., II. ii. 136.
1616. Trav. Eng. Pilg., in Harl. Misc. (Malh.), III. 332. Writing my notes out of my table-book.
1667. Pepys, Diary, 10 May. Found in the dead man’s pocket … a talle-book, wherein were entered the names of several places where he was to go.
1711–12. Swift, Jrnl. to Stella, 22 Jan. He thanked me for telling him, and immediately put his name in his table-book.
1816. Singer, Hist. Cards, 276. He was observed to busy himself by writing in his table book.
2. A book of arithmetical or other tables; a Ready Reckoner or the like.
1827. G. Darley, Sylvia, 28. He cannot count his fingers Without a table-book.
3. An ornamental book for a drawing-room table.
1845. (title) George Cruikshank’s Table-Book.
1888. Lit. World, XIX. 8 Dec., 450 (Cent. Dict.). That literary atrocity, the Christmas table-book, has well nigh disappeared, and well illustrated editions of famous works are becoming more and more popular.
Hence † Table-book-wise adv. Obs., in the manner of a table-book (sense 1).
1642. Howell, For. Trav. (Arb.), 27. Some do use to have a small leger booke fairely bound up table-book-wise.
