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Glite Dictionary
dead tree edition

dead tree edition

7.2
A paper version of a book, magazine, or newspaper
  • noun
  • Texting
translation icon : edición impresa
  • Many readers still prefer the dead tree edition of their favorite magazine over the digital version.

Examples

  • The major papers weren't completely online yet, but nobody found an obituary in the dead tree editions.

    Blog text (13)

  • The people who distribute the dead tree editions.

    Blog text (31)

  • While the news is readily available online, some loyal fans insist on buying the dead tree edition of the newspaper every morning.

  • She enjoys flipping through the pages of a dead tree edition of a novel rather than reading it on her tablet.

Synonyms

print
vsdead tree edition
235 1.0

The state of being published in printed books or magazines

is an informal name for the paper form contrasted with online
hard copy
vsdead tree edition
20 3.1

A paper copy printed or typed from a computer

is the informal name for paper editions regardless of origin

Antonyms

e-book
  • Texting
2.7

A digital book that you read on a phone, tablet, or computer

How Physical

dead tree edition
  • Texting
7.2
print
53 1.0
ebook
187 2.5

Surface Forms

dead tree edition singular
dead tree editions plural

Morphology

dead + tree + edition

The phrase relies on a metaphor (paper comes from trees, so printed copies are "dead tree" versions) rather than straightforward compositional meaning; a learner who knows 'dead', 'tree', and 'edition' might infer it refers to a printed edition but could also misinterpret it as an edition about dead trees. Because the connection is motivated and partly predictable but requires cultural/figurative knowledge, it is not fully transparent to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Dead tree edition comes from the image of a dead tree turned into paper: trees are cut down and made into pages, so the dead tree edition means the 'printed' or 'paper' version, not the 'digital' one.