Glossary of Book and Ephemera Terms and Abbreviations
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UC. [uncorrected proof].
UL / ul. [underlined] or underlining.
umber. a gray-brown color.
unabridged. contains the complete text; not shortened or condensed in any way. The opposite is [abridged] or [condensed].
unbound. not bound and has never been bound. Compare [disbound].
uncorrected proof / UC / UP. [softcover] copy of a book printed before publication, usually with plain undecorated covers, often used to generate book reviews for publicity. See [proof]; compare [advance copy].
uncut. 1. page edges have not been trimmed or shaved to a uniform length. 2. pages have not been cut apart from each other; usually called [unopened].
underlined. a defect, commonly found in [textbooks], in which the [owner] has underlined parts of the text, usually in pen, as an aid to study. Compare [highlighting.]
undressed. not tanned. Usually refers to a type of sheepskin formerly used for bookbinding.
unedited galley. [galley proof] with no corrections. The opposite is a [page proof].
uniform edition. a book from a multi-volume set, usually by a popular author, all the volumes being [reprints] that are printed in the same size and bound in the same manner as each other, and often lacking any numbering sequence.
unissued. occasionally seen in the description of a school [textbook] to indicate that the book has apparently never been lent to or used by students; that is, the book is free of marks, stamps, scribbles, dents, and other such flaws common to used textbooks.
unlettered. 1. having no writing or printing. 2. having no writing or lettering on the [backstrip], usually referring to a high quality binding.
unnumbered. without page numbers. The more common term is [unpaginated].
unopened. pages are still joined at the outer folds, not slit apart. Usually seen in older books, this is a normal condition, not a defect, and indicates that the previous [owner] never read the book. Sometimes called uncut.
unpaged. [unpaginated].
unpaginated. refers to a book with pages that are not numbered, or to unnumbered pages or [plates] within a book. [Picture books] and some art books are often unpaginated. In some unpaginated books, each [signature] is designated by letter. Abbreviated unp or unpag. Also called unnumbered.
unsophisticated. pure, genuine, unaltered, unrepaired, unrestored. Compare [sophisticated].
UP. [uncorrected proof].
UPC. Universal Product Code. Systematized product numbers used in the US, equivalent to [EAN] in Europe.
up-style. a type of headline or title writing in which the first letter of every word is capitalized, including small words such as "the" and "in." Compare [down-style].
Urebond (brand name). a type of [bonded leather].
USPS. United States Postal Service.
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This glossary was written and compiled by Gwen Foss of Alan's Used Books with thanks to the many independent bookdealers of TomFolio.com.
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