pi·ca 1 (p  k )n. 1. a. A printer's unit of type size, equal to 12 points or about 1/6 of an inch. b. An equivalent unit of composition measurement used in determining the dimensions of lines, illustrations, or printed pages. 2. A type size for typewriters, providing ten characters to the inch. [Probably from Medieval Latin p ca, list of church services (perhaps from the typeface used to print it).] |
| pi·ca 2 (pk) n. An abnormal craving or appetite for nonfood substances, such as dirt, paint, or clay. [New Latin p ca, from Latin, magpie (from its omnivorous nature).] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
The reading-matter is compressed into two hundred and five small-pica lines, and is lighted up with eight pica headlines.
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