A stand or support structure for holding books upright for display, reading, or reference; can be portable or built-in furniture.
From 'book' (Old English 'bōc') + 'stand' (Old English 'standan', to stand upright). Became a standard piece of furniture from the Victorian era onward as reading became a leisure activity.
Decorative bookstands were status symbols in Victorian homes—the fancier the wood carving and the leather trim, the more intellectual the household appeared to visitors.
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