Definition:
A brief description of the contents of a book printed on the dust jacket. The word is believed to have been coined by the American author gelett Burgess who defined it as ‘a sound like a publisher’. Earlier the term ‘puff’ was used, probably after Mr Puff in Sheridan’s The Critic (1779).
Cuddon, J. A. A Dictionary of Literary Terms. 3rd ed., Oxford, Blackwell Reference, 1991. 1051 vols. A Dictionary of Literary Terms.
Informal Definition
A short description on the back of the book that describes the gist of the story. Can be a couple Usually leaves the reader with a question of what will happen next.
Etymology
Gelett Burgess ... then entertained the guests with some characteristic flashes of Burgessian humor. Referring to the word "blurb" on the wrapper of his book he said: "To 'blurb' is to make a sound like a publisher. The blurb was invented by Frank A. Munsey when he wrote on the front of his magazine in red ink 'I consider this number of Munsey's the hottest pie that ever came out of my bakery.' ... A blurb is a check drawn on Fame, and it is seldom honored.
Online Etymology Dictionary. 18 Aug. 2020, www.etymonline.com/word/blurb#etymonline_v_13650. Accessed 6 Sept. 2022.