dot matrix
- noun
- /dɑt ˈmeɪtrɪks/
- Specialized
- Despite being an older technology, dot matrix printers are still preferred in some warehouses for their durability.
Examples
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The basic paradigm for printing holds for nearly every computing operating system, and it allows print jobs to be printed successfully on devices from low-end dot matrix printers to high-end laser printers, which testifies to its flexibility.
Academic text (1997) -
A dot matrix ticker prints out the document at the side.
Academic text (2002) -
But people said the same thing when the first dot matrix printers came on the market.
Blog text (28) -
On the technology front, when was the last time you heard a dot matrix printer?
Blog text (34) -
My most expensive possessions were an old Apple II computer and a dot-matrix printer.
Fiction book (1997) -
Pretty good quality dot matrix output, but nothing to compete with what would happen with proper fonts and so on.
-
I had bought a dot matrix printer with that Radio Shack desktop.
Blog text (19) -
The RD-71 Series datalogger has a graphic dot matrix display coupled with digital electronics.
Academic text (1995) -
The wire markers provide a smooth surface texture for THT or dot matrix printing.
Academic text (1996) -
The office still uses a dot matrix printer for invoices because it is reliable and cost-effective.
How Detailed
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is directly compositional: 'matrix' (an arrangement or grid) filled with 'dots' yields a grid of dots used to form characters or images. This noun–noun formation follows normal English composition and has clear cross‑linguistic equivalents, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
The noun dot matrix comes from the simple image of tiny dots in a grid. Each dot is a small point and the matrix is the grid that holds them, so together they make 'letters' or 'pictures' on screens and printers.