Fish I Have Met and Et

boards : Common term for the covers of a hardbound book.

spine : The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf. Also known as the back.

tight : Used to mean that the binding of a book has not been overly loosened by frequent use.

8vo : Short for Octavo, A book whose page size is approximately 8-10 inches tall. The size is based on a sheet of paper 25 inches by 38 inches, the size of paper traditionally used by book printers, which has been folded and cut into 16 pages.. Unfortunately often misunderstood to mean 8 volumes.

Cloth : Generally refers to a hardcover with cloth covering the outside of the book covers.