pica

1
[ pahy-kuh ]
See synonyms for pica on Thesaurus.com
nounPrinting.
  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.

  1. a 12-point type, widely used for typewriters, having 10 characters to the inch.

Origin of pica

1
1580–90; apparently <Medieval Latin pīca pie4, on the model of brevier and canon1, other type sizes

Words Nearby pica

Other definitions for pica (2 of 2)

pica2
[ pahy-kuh ]

nounPathology.
  1. an abnormal appetite or craving for substances that are not fit to eat, as chalk or clay, common in malnutrition, pregnancy, etc.

Origin of pica

2
1555–65; <New Latin, special use of Latin pīca jay, magpie, with reference to its omnivorous feeding

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How to use pica in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pica (1 of 2)

pica1

/ (ˈpaɪkə) /


noun
  1. Also called: em, pica em a printer's unit of measurement, equal to 12 points or 0.166 ins

  2. (formerly) a size of printer's type equal to 12 point

  1. a typewriter type size having 10 characters to the inch

Origin of pica

1
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

British Dictionary definitions for pica (2 of 2)

pica2

/ (ˈpaɪkə) /


noun
  1. pathol an abnormal craving to ingest substances such as clay, dirt, or hair, sometimes occurring during pregnancy, in persons with chlorosis, etc

Origin of pica

2
C16: from medical Latin, from Latin: magpie, being an allusion to its omnivorous feeding habits

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012