Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - bible

 noun  Etymology: Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin biblia, from Greek, plural of biblion book, diminutive of byblos papyrus, book, from Byblos, ancient Phoenician city from which papyrus was exported  Date: 14th century  1. capitalized  a. the sacred scriptures of Christians comprising the Old Testament and the New Testament  b. the sacred scriptures of some other religion (as Judaism)  2. obsolete book  3. capitalized a copy or an edition of the Bible  4. a publication that is preeminent especially in authoritativeness or wide readership the fisherman's ~ the ~ of the entertainment industry