ENGLISH
REFERENCE

book burning

idiom
Meaning

Any mass destruction, removal, or recalling of books, motion pictures, broadcasts, or electronic works as a form of censorship, especially motivated by religious or political objections to the material.


Examples
SIMPLE

The regime ordered book burning to silence its critics.

CONTEXTUAL

After the revolution, angry crowds gathered in the square for book burning of everything written by the old rulers.

COMPLEX

Historians now view that summer's widespread book burning not merely as vandalism, but as a calculated effort to erase an entire generation's dissenting voices from public memory.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    are your ears burning

    Asked of somebody who was not present but was the topic of discussion.

  2. 02

    blot one's copy book

    To damage one's own reputation through bad behavior.

  3. 03

    book dumping

    The practice of donating old used books that burden rather than assist communities.

  4. 04

    book in

    To check in (to a hotel).

  5. 05

    burning question

    An important and pertinent question that urgently requires an answer.

  6. 06

    call someone every name in the book

    To call someone many abusive names.

  7. 07

    carbon burning

    The nucleosynthesis process, in stars of greater than 8 solar mass that have exhausted their helium supply, in which carbon is converted to neon, sodium, magnesium and other elements.

  8. 08

    close the book on

    To stop worrying about or trying to do something about; to ignore.

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