songbook

From Middle English song boke, from Old English sangbōc (“a music book; songbook”), equivalent to song +‎ book. Compare Saterland Frisian Songbouk (“songbook”), West Frisian sjongboek (“songbook”), Dutch zangboek (“songbook”), German Low German Sangbook (“songbook; hymnbook; hymnal”), German Gesangbuch (“songbook; hymnbook; hymnal”), Danish sangbog (“songbook”), Swedish sångbok (“songbook”), Faroese songbók (“songbook”), Icelandic söngbók (“songbook”).

songbook (plural songbooks)

1. A book containing songs.
   • 2002, Martha Mizell Puckett, Hoyle B. Puckett, Memories of a Georgia Teacher: Fifty Years in the Classroom, page 198:

     Some of the young folks asked Mrs. Long could they have a sing at her home that Sunday afternoon; she readily agreed, telling them to come early, bring their songbooks, and have a good sing.

   • 2005, Andrew Dickson, The Rough Guide to Shakespeare: The Plays, the Poems, the Life, London: Rough Guides, →ISBN, page 191:

     In uncritical homage to the heyday of Hollywood musicals, Branagh sets the action in a kind of soundstagey Oxbridge (wittily designed by Tim Harvey) and at crucial moments has his cast spin on their heels and croon American songbook standards by Porter, Kern, Gershwin and company instead of launching into sonnets and masques.

   • 2019, Emerson Kathy Lynn, How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries:

     Wondering how else he passed his time, Winifred surveyed the room again, this time without regard for the monetary value of the things she saw. A box of lutestrings. Five songbooks. But no lute.