wire printer
1
4.4
- noun
- Archaic
- The old office used a wire printer for invoices because it could print on multipart forms.
Examples
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Engineers repaired the wire printer after several wires became bent.
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A wire printer is typically noisier than modern inkjet models.
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The wire printer produced high-quality text.
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Many offices still use a wire printer for invoices.
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In the 1980s, many businesses relied on a wire printer to produce invoices quickly.
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The technician demonstrated how to operate the wire printer for the new employees.
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Despite its age, the wire printer still functions well for printing labels.
Synonyms
111
1.0
A machine that makes text or pictures on paper from a computer
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
1
4.0
A machine that prints characters and pictures by making patterns of dots
1
3.9
A printer that makes letters and pictures by hitting an ink ribbon against paper
A machine that prints letters and numbers as small dots using thin wires that hit an ink ribbon
A printer that makes letters and pictures by hitting paper with small needles
A machine that prints letters one at a time
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'an impact printer using wires' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'wire' (thin metal strand) with 'printer' (a device that prints); the compound denotes a printer that uses wires. Although somewhat technical, the compositional structure is clear and a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer this sense.
Etymology
The name wire printer comes from how it makes 'letters': thin metal wires hit an ink ribbon and leave small dots on the paper. Those dots join to form the 'characters' you read, so the name refers to a printer that prints with wires.