typewriter

American  

[tahyp-rahy-ter] / ˈtaɪpˌraɪ tər /

noun

• typewriters
  plural

1. a machine for writing mechanically in letters and characters like those produced by printers' types.

2. Printing. a type style that gives the appearance of typewritten copy.

3. Older Use. a typist.

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typewriter British  

/ ˈtaɪpˌraɪtə /

noun

1. a keyboard machine for writing mechanically in characters resembling print. It may be operated entirely by hand ( manual typewriter ) or be powered by electricity ( electric typewriter )

2. printing a style of type resembling typescript

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• typewriters
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of typewriter

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70; type + writer

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Explanation

A typewriter is an old-fashioned machine for printing letters, school assignments, and other written works. Each key on a typewriter prints a single letter, number, or symbol in ink on a piece of paper. There are similarities between a computer keyboard and a typewriter — you use both by pressing one key at a time. But instead of watching a cursor move across a screen as you type (moving backwards easily, automatically deleting mistakes), a typewriter makes a physical mark on paper. Instead of printing your letter out (or emailing it), when you use a typewriter, you create the final product as you go, simply pulling it out of the typewriter when you finish.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

typewriter typewriters

Stewart picked up his typewriter and walked out.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

I enter an antique store and find must-haves—a pristine Underwood typewriter, a vacuum-tube radio—then remind myself that we’re trying to get rid of stuff, and the urge passes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

She also turned what used to be a gun closet into a “vault” filled with family heirlooms, including a typewriter, perfume, photos, jewelry and a flask.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026

The typewriter as a teaching tool in the age of AI.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 1, 2026

Up-stairs in the office I read the French morning papers, smoked, and then sat at the typewriter and got off a good morning's work.

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway

And even though they’re on deadline, they’re afforded ample time to collect data and conduct interviews before returning to their typewriters.

From Salon ● Mar. 7, 2026

The same thing happened when assembly lines reshaped manufacturing, when robotics entered the factory floor, when computers displaced typewriters, and when the internet placed a printing press on every desk.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 10, 2025

National letters of intent have gone the way of typewriters, rotary telephones and dinosaurs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2024

“I agree that typewriters are archaic, and it’s unfair. We can look and chew gum at the same time … but many in the state government have a scarcity mentality,” Salazar told me.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2024

The women sought work as typewriters, stenographers, seamstresses, and weavers.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

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