[li.brary] n, pl -brar.ies [ME, fr. ML librarium, fr. L, neut. of librarius of books, fr. libr-, liber inner bark, rind, book] (14c) 1 a: a place in which literary, musical, artistic, or reference materials (as books, manuscripts, recordings, or films) are kept for use but not for sale b: a collection of such materials
2. a: a collection resembling or suggesting a library "a ~ of computer programs" "wine ~" b: morgue
2. 3 a: a series of related books issued by a publisher b: a collection of publications on the same subject
4: a collection of sequences of DNA and esp. recombinant DNA that are maintained in a suitable cellular environment and that represent the genetic material of a particular organism or tissue