hornbook

/ˈhɔrnˌbʊk/
noun
  1. A basic primer or introductory text used for teaching children to read, originally a sheet of paper mounted on a wooden board and covered with a transparent sheet of horn.
    • The museum displayed a replica of a hornbook used in the 17th century.
    • She found an old hornbook in her grandmother's attic, still showing the alphabet and the Lord's Prayer.
    • In colonial America, children often learned their ABCs from a hornbook.
  2. A basic or elementary introduction to a subject; a beginner's guide.
    • He wrote a hornbook of gardening tips for city dwellers.
    • The workshop was a hornbook on how to start a small business.
    • This website serves as a hornbook for anyone new to coding.
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