printer
noun
Simple meaning
A machine that puts words and pictures on paper, or a person who does this as a job.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
printerSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈpɹɪntɚ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
computer hardware
A device, usually attached to a computer, used to print text or images onto paper; an analogous device capable of producing three-dimensional objects.
printing
Someone whose occupation is printing
One who makes prints.
A machine that prints
printing
The operator of a printing press or the owner of a printing business; (metonymic) any printing business.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: (computer hardware) A device, usually attached to a computer, used to print text or images onto paper; an analogous device capable of producing three-dimensional objects.
Used this way, printer is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is a computing use: it carries a fixed technical meaning inside software and systems work.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Specialist/technical
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Specialized
- Connotation
- Clinical and technical
- Usage feel
- Technical and specialized
Where it naturally appears
- Technology
- Technical/specialist writing
- Business/professional
Usage note
In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use printer
- “My printer ran out of ink, so I cannot print the document now.”noun
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.