Word
cicero
Phoneticsci·cero
US/ˈsɪsɝˌoʊ/
UK/sˈaɪsɹəʊ/
Definition
n. a specific size of text used in printing, mostly in Europe. It is equal to 12 points and is used to measure how wide or long a page is.
n. a unit of typographic measure equal to 12 Didot points, approximately 4.511 millimetres. Predominantly used in continental European printing traditions, it serves as the standard for measuring line lengths and column widths.
Examples
“The printer set the column width to twenty ciceros.”
“Traditional European typographers often prefer the cicero over the pica when designing layouts for high-end art books.”
“While the Anglo-American system relies on the pica, the cicero remains the historical benchmark for typographic dimensions across much of Europe, reflecting a distinct evolution in printing standards.”
Examples
simple
“The printer set the column width to twenty ciceros.”
contextual
“Traditional European typographers often prefer the cicero over the pica when designing layouts for high-end art books.”
complex
“While the Anglo-American system relies on the pica, the cicero remains the historical benchmark for typographic dimensions across much of Europe, reflecting a distinct evolution in printing standards.”
Usage
Commonly used in the plural when referring to specific measurements.
Real-World Examples
“On the personal front, Cicero has recently divorced Terentia, his wife of 30 years, and a few months ago his beloved daughter Tullia died from complications following childbirth.” Etymology
Borrowed from Latin Cicerō, a cognomen in reference to warts (cicer (“chickpea”)). The Latinate form, based on the nominative, displaced Middle English Ciceroun, based on the oblique stem.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/cicero