typewriter

American  

[tahyp-rahy-ter] / ˈtaɪpˌraɪ tər /

noun

• typewriters
  plural

1. a machine for writing mechanically in letters and characters like those produced by printers' types.

2. Printing. a type style that gives the appearance of typewritten copy.

3. Older Use. a typist.

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typewriter British  

/ ˈtaɪpˌraɪtə /

noun

1. a keyboard machine for writing mechanically in characters resembling print. It may be operated entirely by hand ( manual typewriter ) or be powered by electricity ( electric typewriter )

2. printing a style of type resembling typescript

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• typewriters
  plural

Etymology

Origin of typewriter

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70; type + writer

Explanation

A typewriter is an old-fashioned machine for printing letters, school assignments, and other written works. Each key on a typewriter prints a single letter, number, or symbol in ink on a piece of paper. There are similarities between a computer keyboard and a typewriter — you use both by pressing one key at a time. But instead of watching a cursor move across a screen as you type (moving backwards easily, automatically deleting mistakes), a typewriter makes a physical mark on paper. Instead of printing your letter out (or emailing it), when you use a typewriter, you create the final product as you go, simply pulling it out of the typewriter when you finish.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

typewriter typewriters

Realising her nails clicking together sounded like a typewriter, she wrote 9 to 5 while waiting around on set.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

For Nancy’s 70th birthday, Debbie bought her friend a necklace with a pendant holding a Shift Lock key from a typewriter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 23, 2026

The court heard the accompanying paperwork had been typed using a typewriter on paper embossed with an antiques dealers' logo – and even a nine-pence stamp.

From BBC ● May 22, 2026

She also turned what used to be a gun closet into a “vault” filled with family heirlooms, including a typewriter, perfume, photos, jewelry and a flask.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026

Now first I will show you how the typewriter works.”

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

Technology is another key feature of that culture—a leap, perhaps, for students who used typewriters when they were in college.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026

By then, standard-issue electric typewriters and six-ply carbon paper had been replaced by far less visually interesting computers.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026

And even though they’re on deadline, they’re afforded ample time to collect data and conduct interviews before returning to their typewriters.

From Salon ● Mar. 7, 2026

There must be an area in Mar-a-Lago where thousands of monkeys work on typewriters.

From Slate ● Sep. 27, 2024

Although the typewriters were brought in unharmed, the enlarger was hopelessly smashed.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols