pica

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“
Helvetica joined this select group in 1963, when Stempel adapted it for the pica-point system and German Linotype prepared matrices for export.

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Definitions (15)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (4)

  1. noun A printer's unit of type size, equal to 12 points or about 1/6 of an inch.
  2. noun An equivalent unit of composition measurement used in determining the dimensions of lines, illustrations, or printed pages.
  3. noun A type size for typewriters, providing ten characters to the inch.
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Etymologies (5)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (2)

  1. Probably from Medieval Latin pīca, list of church services (perhaps from the typeface used to print it).
  2. New Latin pīca, from Latin, magpie (from its omnivorous nature).

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (3)

  1. = F. Spanish Portuguese Italian pica, from New Latin pica, a vitiated appetite, so called in allusion to the omnivorous habits of the magpie; from Latin pica, a magpie: see Pica.
  2. from Middle Latin pica, the ordinal, so called on account of the color and confused appearance of the rules, they being printed in the old black-letter type on white paper, and thus looking pied; from Latin pica, a magpie: see Pica and pie.
  3. So called with reference to the black-letter type in which the pica or ordinal was printed: see pica.
 

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/ˈpaɪkə/
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