Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Wiktionary
n. The detachable paper cover of a book; used to protect the binding, and to provide blurb.
WordNet
n. a paper jacket for a book; a jacket on which promotional information is printed [syn: book jacket, dust cover, dust wrapper]
Wikipedia
The dust jacket (sometimes book jacket, dust wrapper or dust cover) of a book is the detachable outer cover, usually made of paper and printed with text and illustrations. This outer cover has folded flaps that hold it to the front and back book covers. Often the back panel or flaps are printed with biographical information about the author, a summary of the book from the publisher (known as a blurb), and/or critical praise from celebrities or authorities in the book's subject area. In addition to its promotional role, the dust jacket protects the book covers from damage. However, since it is itself relatively fragile, and since dust jackets have practical, aesthetic, and sometimes financial value, the jacket may in turn be wrapped in another jacket, usually transparent, especially if the book is a library volume.
Usage examples of "dust jacket".
He took a book from under his arm, an old British edition of A Jew's Jesus in a tattered dust jacket.
He was lying on the bed, reading a book that featured a pile of decomposing human bodies on the dust jacket, and because of the high contrast between the boy and the black-satin bedclothes, he appeared to be levitating like a yogi.
The Inspector could feel Angus McGowan's book weighing in the large inside pocket of his overcoat That old edition, probably a first (according to its date, anyway), but wrapped in a dust jacket from a more recent edition - surely?
The book, Chee noticed, had a dust jacket that looked science fictionish and bore the name Roger Zelazny.
Claude turned the book over in his hands, noting the brittle plastic binding protecting the dust jacket and the shelving code affixed to its spine.