printer

American  

[prin-ter] / ˈprɪn tər /

noun

1. a person or thing that prints, especially a person whose occupation is printing.

2. Computers. an output device that produces a paper copy of alphanumeric or graphic data.

3. an instrument that automatically records telegraphic messages by means of a printing mechanism activated by incoming signals.

4. 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.

---

printer British  

/ ˈprɪntə /

noun

1. a person or business engaged in printing

2. a machine or device that prints

3. computing an output device for printing results on paper

---

Other Word Forms

• printerlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of printer

First recorded in 1495–1505; print + -er ¹

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

"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

As a group, they’re as inspiring as printer paper.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026

Personal-system unit sales rose 12%, while sales of printer units fell 6%.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 25, 2026

She had initially invested in a 3D printer, which can cost about $200, to create merch for her website, but she says some people in the movement bought their first printers just for whistles.

From Slate • Jan. 31, 2026

The printer evidently had a set of at least 45 stamps, one for each sign appearing on the disk.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• laser printer