Pocketbook
/ˈpɒkɪtˌbʊk/noun
A small book-sized wallet or handbag, or a book kept for personal use.
Did you know?The first part, pocket, ultimately comes from a Germanic word for a small bag or pouch, so the word is basically a double-container: a book-shaped holder for what you carry close.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*puk- / *pukô
“a pouch, bag, or small sack”
Middle English
English
poket
“a small bag sewn into clothing”
14th Century
English
bok
“a written book or volume”
17th Century
English
pocket book
“a small book-sized container or book carried in the pocket”
Modern English
English
pocketbook
“a small wallet or handbag; also, personal finances”