wire matrix printer
- noun
- /ˈwaɪər ˈmeɪtrɪks ˈprɪntər/
- Archaic
:
impresora de matriz de alambre
- Unlike modern inkjet models, a wire matrix printer forms each character with tiny dots.
Examples
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You can hear the distinctive buzzing sound when a wire matrix printer is working.
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The office still uses a wire matrix printer to generate carbon copies of invoices.
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The wire matrix printer produces high-quality text.
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Many businesses still use a wire matrix printer for invoices.
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The office still uses a wire matrix printer to generate carbon copies of invoices.
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Unlike modern inkjet models, a wire matrix printer forms each character with tiny dots.
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You can hear the distinctive buzzing sound when a wire matrix printer is working.
Synonyms
1
5.7
A printer that makes letters and pictures from small dots
1
4.5
A machine that makes letters and pictures on paper using dots
A printer that makes letters from dots by striking paper with thin metal wires
A printer that makes letters and pictures by hitting paper with small needles
A machine that prints characters and pictures by making patterns of dots
A printer that makes letters and pictures by hitting an ink ribbon against paper
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is compositionally built from its constituents: 'wire' + 'matrix' + 'printer' clearly denotes a type of printer that uses wires arranged in a matrix to produce printed dots. Although the term is technical, a B1 learner who knows the three words and understands noun–noun compounding can infer the printer’s basic mechanism and purpose, so the meaning is directly derivable.
Etymology
Wire matrix printer gets its name from how it prints: many thin wire pins hit an ink ribbon in a grid called a matrix, and each hit makes a tiny 'dot' that together form letters. So, the name tells us it is a printer that forms characters from 'dots' when wires hit an ink ribbon.