Bound in cloth, cardboard, or leather rather than paper Used of books, having a hard back or cover, of a book Having a rigid binding, noun_ A hardcover book, A book with a rigid binding, often of cardboard or leather, a book with cardboard or cloth or leather covers

a book with paper covers, A book with paper covers; -- contrasted with hardback or hardcover, A book having a flexible paper binding, adjective_ having a flexible binding; -- of books. Contrasted to hardcover or hardbacked or hardbound, (of books) having a flexible binding