Dew ‧ ey dec ‧ i ‧ mal sys ‧ tem, the /ˌdjuːi ˈdesəm ə l ˌsɪstəm $ ˌduːi-/ BrE AmE ( also the ˌDewey ˌDecimal Classifiˈcation )
a system used by libraries for putting books into groups according to their subject. General subjects for example, English literature) are given a number, and then particular parts of this subject (for example, Jane ↑ Austen 's novels) are each given a more specific number using ↑ decimal numbers. The system was invented by Melvil Dewey (1851–1931), a US ↑ librarian .