Meanings
nounsmall book (plural small books)
plural small books
- archaiclawA process by which someone is to be detained or held on investigation without an official charge being filed; suspects placed in it were routinely held incommunicado (denied phone calls and visitors) while detectives aggressively interrogated them for confessions without formally charging them.
a prisoner is being placed/held on the small book
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSynonym of logbook.
Similar
Origin
Coined in the mid-20th century; a reference to the literal logbooks or "small books" officers use at the station.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
small book. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/small%20book
MLA
“small book.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/small%20book. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “small book,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/small%20book.
Source: small book on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.