- present participle of print.
printing
Americannoun
-
printings
plural
-
the art, process, or business of producing books, newspapers, etc., by impression from movable types, plates, etc.
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the act of a person or thing that prints.
-
words, symbols, etc., in printed form.
-
printed material.
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the total number of copies of a book or other publication printed at one time.
The book had a first printing of 10,000.
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writing in which the letters resemble printed ones.
noun
-
-
the process, business, or art of producing printed matter
-
( as modifier )
printing ink
-
-
printed text
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Also called: impression. all the copies of a book or other publication printed at one time
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a form of writing in which letters resemble printed letters
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of printing
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at print, -ing 1
Vocabulary lists containing printing
Chinese History - Introductory
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Chinese History - Middle School and High School
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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.
See Examples For:
“Widely available consumer-grade 3D printers capable of printing firearm parts, frames, receivers, and accessories now start at about $200 and are compact enough to fit on a small table,” the complaint alleged.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026
Rhys Phillips, the Bank's incoming chief cashier who will be responsible for the roll-out of the new series of notes, said the process of designing, testing and printing banknotes could take years.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Experimenting, it seems, with high-contrast printing and an X-Acto knife in his bathroom darkroom, he reduced his figures to lonely shapes of solid black on solid-white backgrounds and vice versa.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
The researchers point to possible applications in avalanches, landslides, materials science, and particle-filled inks used in 3D printing.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
“I have received word from friends there who will help us establish our new printing press,” Tío Yehuda announces.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
He’s “surprised” by the success that “Life at the Bottom” has had in several countries—particularly the Netherlands, where it has gone through 14 printings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026
PORTLAND, Maine — Maine lawmakers are backing a proposal to include language about the state’s obligations to Native American tribes in future printings of the the state’s constitution.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 15, 2023
Emperor Shomu had encouraged the spread of Buddhism by ordering a temple to be built in every province and block printings of Buddhist scriptures to be disseminated to the general populace.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
But Griswold's edition went through 19 printings in the 15 years after Poe's death, and his stories and poems have been endlessly reprinted and translated ever since.
From Salon ● Jan. 21, 2023
That wouldn’t happen until February 1998, when it would hit the charts and stay there, through 48 printings and 2.5 million copies.
From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
