microprintn.
/ˈmʌɪkrə(ʊ)prɪnt/, U.S. /ˈmaɪkroʊˌprɪnt/, /ˈmaɪkrəˌprɪnt/ 1. A photographic or photomechanical print of text reduced by microphotography.In humorous context in quot. 1983.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > representation > [noun] > copying apparatus > act of copying in reduced form > microcopy
microfilm1933
microprint1933
microcopy1934
microcard1944
microform1944
microdot1946
microfiche1950
micro-opaque1952
fiche1959
1933 Libr. Jrnl. 1 Apr. 317/1 The microprints can be arranged 4 × 4 on a paper.
1962 William & Mary Q. 19 625 Libraries that do own the microprints should buy the books at this modest price for the ease of using them and the timesaving indices.
1983 Mil. Affairs 10/2 The latest in microprints are gilt-edged for security so spies can swallow them if captured; naturally they are known as gold fiche.
2. Printed matter produced by microphotographic reduction. Frequently in microprint.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > printing > duplicating processes > [noun] > print reduced by microphotography
microprint1948
1948 V. Nabokov Let. 21 Mar. in Sel. Lett. (1989) 83 Literary material, in Russian and in translation, worth being reproduced in microprint for the University library.
1951 Amer. Documentation 2 151/1 Microprint is delivered in labelled, cloth slip-cases ready for shelving.
1961 T. Landau Encycl. Librarianship (ed. 2) 121/1 Microfilming and the production of microprint are camera methods.
1970 New Scientist 31 Dec. 601/2 People of all ages have found that they can read microprint without strain.
1984 Amer. Speech Spring 71 We might wonder whether or not this is a microprint edition.
1989 Amer. Q. 41 506 Should students need to examine the original source, it was at hand in a hard, microprint copy.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2001; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1933