ˈbu̇kish, -kēsh adjective
1.
a. : of or relating to books
a bookish pastime
a bookish career
a bookish life
b. : fond of books and reading
a bookish farmer who carried favorite volumes in his saddle bags — Will Irwin
2.
a. : inclined to rely on knowledge obtained from books as opposed to that gained from practical experience
a bookish approach to life
a bookish cast of mind
b.
(1) : literary and formal as opposed to colloquial and informal
a bookish way of speaking
(2) : affectedly learned or pedantic
a bookish writer overly bent on giving his sources and authority
• book·ish·ly adverb