printing press

American

noun

a machine, as a cylinder press or rotary press, for printing on paper or the like from type, plates, etc.

printing press British

noun

any of various machines used for printing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of printing press

First recorded in 1580–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

What it says about America: The steam-driven printing press meant that music was democratizing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026

Then he turned for emphasis to the fonts available on the printing press of his day.

From Salon • Jan. 10, 2026

Generative AI represents "the largest transformation in the information ecosystem since the printing press," consultant David Caswell told AFP.

From Barron's • Nov. 26, 2025

Soon after, the Post-Gazette announced it was closing its printing press.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 13, 2025

Shakespeare is not aware of living in a distinctly ‘modern’ world, despite the compass, the printing press, gunpowder and the discovery of America.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023