movable type

American  

noun

Printing.

1. type from which text is printed directly in which each character is on a separate piece of metal.

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Etymology

Origin of movable type

First recorded in 1760–70

Example Sentences

Béchard offers a very long historical perspective of this phenomenon, starting with Gutenberg, whose invention of movable type — “the ChatGPT of the 1450s,” he asserts — ushered in “the mass production of cheap printed material.”

From Los Angeles Times

And a form of movable type appeared in China as early as the 11th century, though it’s unclear whether Gutenberg would have known of it, Fletcher said.

From New York Times

What a book is has certainly changed over time, as clay tablets, papyrus scrolls, parchment and quills have given way to codexes, movable type, mechanized printing processes and e-readers.

From New York Times

In 1623, when the First Folio was printed, every page had to be set up for the press by hand, using tiny metal letters called movable type.

From Literature

The same could all be said of Gutenberg’s movable type.

From Washington Post