1.
book spine; spine of a book
The narrow side of a book visible when it is shelved, typically displaying the title, author, and publisher.
背表紙のタイトルが読みにくい。
The title on the spine is hard to read.
本棚の背表紙を眺めるのが好きだ。
I like looking at the spines of books on the bookshelf.
古い本は背表紙が日焼けして色あせている。
The spines of old books have faded from sun exposure.
WORD FORMATION:
背 (back) + 表紙 (cover). Note the reading change: 表紙 becomes びょうし in this compound due to rendaku (sequential voicing).
USAGE:
In Japanese bookbinding, text on the spine traditionally reads from top to bottom. This is relevant when shelving books, as the text orientation differs from Western books.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 表紙: (front) cover of a book
- 裏表紙: back cover