a book lacking the original binding or with a binding in poor condition.
a quality book needing, and generally deserving to be rebound.
A book which needs to be rebound and is worth rebinding.
A book which requires a new case, and is worth a re-binding.
A book whose text block is complete and serviceable, but the current binding is defective or incomplete. (Note: Technically, what we call bindings on most books today, where the text block is glued in (in a hardcover book the text block is glued to a cover by some mull and end sheet paper, and in a softcover book normally the text block is glued directly to the spine of the cover), is actually a casing. Bindings were actually sewn to the collected gatherings. The two terms-binding and casing-are, however, starting to be used interchangeably today.)
A book needing rebound and is worth rebinding, either in total or in part.
A book whose text block is complete and serviceable, but the current binding is defective, incomplete, or in need of repair.
Binding copy describes a book in which the pages or leaves are perfect but the binding is very bad, loose, off, or nonexistent. (AB Bookman.)