Cartonnage

/ˌkɑrtəˈnɑʒ/ noun

Definition

The material, process, or product of making or working with cardboard and cardboard boxes; also, decorative cardboard used in binding books.

Etymology

From French cartonnage (from carton, derived from Italian cartone, from Latin charta meaning 'paper') plus the suffix '-age' (indicating a process or material).

Kelly Says

Cartonnage in bookbinding refers to the decorative cardboard used on book covers instead of leather—it's a French word that English borrowed to describe an entire craft tradition of turning cheap cardboard into beautiful book covers.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.