reference book

noun

a book containing useful facts or specially organized information, as an encyclopedia, dictionary, atlas, yearbook, etc.

Also called pass, passbook. South African. a domestic identity document carried by black citizens.

Origin

1885-90

Examples from the web for reference book

For amateur naturalists, it is somewhere between a reference book and a travel guide.
And unfortunately, no reference book can settle whether they do, for reverse dictionaries are quite limited in their usefulness.
Think of it as a good reference book for cooking to cure.
Upon returning from the trip, neither he nor his friends were able to locate a reference book that provided the answer.
Many new parents need to know that it's ok to use a good reference book every now and then.

British Dictionary definitions for reference book

noun

a book, such as an encyclopedia, dictionary, etc, from which information may be obtained

(South African) another name for passbook (sense 4)