pica
1a 12-point type of a size between small pica and English.
the depth of this type size as a unit of linear measurement for type, pages containing type, etc.; one sixth of an inch.
a 12-point type, widely used for typewriters, having 10 characters to the inch.
Origin of pica
1- Compare elite (def. 4).
Words Nearby pica
Other definitions for pica (2 of 2)
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
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use pica in a sentence
So in Vincent—'pica loquax'—'pica garrula,' &c.; and in Pliny, lib.
Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 (of 7) -- Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems | Geoffrey ChaucerOthers will have a craving for some article not proper for food;—this is called pica.
This large hermit-crab, found in Florida and in more southern waters, inhabits the beautiful pearly shell of Livona pica.
The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide | Augusta Foote ArnoldPietro entreated and threatened, pica wept and caressed, but all in vain.
Brother Francis | Eileen DouglasThere is a play here on the double meaning of pie, namely a bird (Latin pica), and an article of food.
Narcissus | Unknown
British Dictionary definitions for pica (1 of 2)
/ (ˈpaɪkə) /
Also called: em, pica em a printer's unit of measurement, equal to 12 points or 0.166 ins
(formerly) a size of printer's type equal to 12 point
a typewriter type size having 10 characters to the inch
Origin of pica
1British Dictionary definitions for pica (2 of 2)
/ (ˈpaɪkə) /
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
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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