Definition of "hornbook" [horn•book]

• An early primer consisting of a single page protected by a transparent sheet of horn, formerly used in teaching children to read. (noun)
• A text that instructs in the basic skills or rudiments of a subject. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "She gave me her old childhood hornbook to practice my letters and verse."
• "Especially if you plan to work on anything interesting and not totally routinized it is far more important to learn how to read the law and learn to navigate within it than it is to learn to regurgitate a hornbook."
• "That said, there are two legitimate reasons why you might want to consult an outline or a hornbook."