pica
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pi·ca 1
(pī′kə)n.
1.
a. A printer's unit of type size, equal to 12 points or about 1/6 of an inch.
b. An equivalent unit of composition measurement used in determining the dimensions of lines, illustrations, or printed pages.
2. A type size for typewriters, providing ten characters to the inch.
[Probably from Medieval Latin pīca, list of church services (perhaps from the typeface used to print it).]
pi·ca 2
(pī′kə)n.
A psychiatric disorder characterized by the compulsive eating of nonfood substances, such as soil, clay, ice, or hair.
[New Latin pīca, from Latin, magpie (from its omnivorous nature).]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
pica
(ˈpaɪkə)n
1. (Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) Also called: em or pica em a printer's unit of measurement, equal to 12 points or 0.166 ins
2. (Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) (formerly) a size of printer's type equal to 12 point
3. (Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) a typewriter type size having 10 characters to the inch
[C15: from Anglo-Latin pīca list of ecclesiastical regulations, apparently from Latin pīca magpie, with reference to its habit of making collections of miscellaneous items; the connection between the original sense (ecclesiastical list) and the typography meanings is obscure]
pica
(ˈpaɪkə)n
(Pathology) pathol an abnormal craving to ingest substances such as clay, dirt, or hair, sometimes occurring during pregnancy, in persons with chlorosis, etc
[C16: from medical Latin, from Latin: magpie, being an allusion to its omnivorous feeding habits]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
pi•ca1
(ˈpaɪ kə)n., pl. -cas.
1. a 12-point type of a size between small pica and English.
2. the depth of this type size as a unit of linear measurement for type, pages containing type, etc.; one sixth of an inch.
3. a 12-point type, widely used for typewriters, having 10 characters to the inch. Compare elite (def. 4).
[1580–90; appar. < Medieval Latin pīca collection of church rules, literally, pie2, on the model of other type sizes, as brevier and canon, orig. used in printing liturgical books]
pi•ca2
(ˈpaɪ kə)n.
an abnormal appetite or craving for substances that are not fit to eat, as chalk or clay.
[1555–65; < New Latin, figurative use of Latin pīca jay, magpie, with ref. to its omnivorous feeding]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
pica
A unit of length, used by printers, approximately equal to 1⁄6 in.
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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| Noun | 1. | pica - an eating disorder, frequent in children, in which non-nutritional objects are eaten persistently geophagia, geophagy - eating earth, clay, chalk; occurs in some primitive tribes, sometimes in cases of nutritional deficiency or obsessive behavior eating disorder - a disorder of the normal eating routine |
| 2. | pica - a linear unit (1/6 inch) used in printing linear measure, linear unit - a unit of measurement of length point - a linear unit used to measure the size of type; approximately 1/72 inch | |
| 3. | Pica - magpies bird genus - a genus of birds Corvidae, family Corvidae - crow; raven; rook; jackdaw; chough; magpie; jay magpie - long-tailed black-and-white crow that utters a raucous chattering call |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
pi·ca
n. pica, deseo insaciable de ingerir sustancias que no son comestibles.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012