Describing a book that is bound with a hardcover or rigid protective case, as opposed to a paperback or soft cover.
Compound of 'case' (the rigid protective cover) and 'bound' (fastened together). Used in publishing to distinguish professional-quality, durable books from cheaper paperback editions.
Casebound books last for centuries in libraries and archives, while paperbacks fall apart in a few decades—it's why important reference books and special editions are casebound, showing how the physical form of a book affects how long human knowledge survives.
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