Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A printer's unit of type size, equal to 12 points or about 1/6 of an inch.
- noun An equivalent unit of composition measurement used in determining the dimensions of lines, illustrations, or printed pages.
- noun A type size for typewriters, providing ten characters to the inch.
- noun An abnormal craving or appetite for nonfood substances, such as dirt, paint, or clay.
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[Probably from Medieval Latin pīca, list of church services (perhaps from the typeface used to print it).]
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[New Latin pīca, from Latin, magpie (from its omnivorous nature).]
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Examples
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