printer
Americannoun
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a person or thing that prints, especially a person whose occupation is printing.
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Computers. an output device that produces a paper copy of alphanumeric or graphic data.
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an instrument that automatically records telegraphic messages by means of a printing mechanism activated by incoming signals.
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Movies. a photographic machine through which either the negative or positive of a master print can be run, together with unexposed film, to make a duplicate.
noun
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a person or business engaged in printing
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a machine or device that prints
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computing an output device for printing results on paper
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of printer
Explanation
A printer might be a person whose job is to make copies of printed material, or a machine that’s hooked up to a computer and prints on paper. With a 3D printer, you can even “print” a spatula! A 3D printer creates a replica of an image sent to it from a computer, whether it’s a car part or a spatula. Most people have the regular kind of printer, though, that they use to print things like essays or articles. Or, you might hire a printer to make your wedding invitations. The original printers, circa 1500, were people who operated a moveable type printing press (invented in 1450), printing books and other texts in small quantities.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The London publisher Grant Richards had first accepted the book of stories in 1905, then rejected it after his printer objected to a story’s contents and refused to set it.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
Grab is exploring the addition of an AI voice assistant to help merchants interact hands-free with the printer.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
Lores was on PayPal’s board for nearly five years and came from computer and printer maker HP, where he served as chief executive.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
"He is very engineering minded," Daily explains, "so, we recently invested a few hundred dollars to get him a 3D printer."
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
From her awkward angle inside the crate, Kate could see Mr. Curtain’s wheels pointed toward the printer.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
