brevier
Definition
- Noun:
- A size of type in printing: "brevier" refers to a specific type size, historically equivalent to 8-point type in the Didot point system. It was commonly used in printing small-format books, such as breviaries (prayer books), hence the name.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The book was printed in brevier to save space and reduce costs. (The text was set in 8-point type.)
- Typesetters often used brevier for footnotes or compact editions. (A small type size for dense text.)
Advanced Usage
Historical context: "brevier" was widely used in the 17th and 18th centuries for pocket-sized Bibles and prayer books, where economy of space was essential.
- The brevier type allowed the entire New Testament to fit in a single small volume. (The 8-point type made the text compact.)
Comparison with modern type sizes: In modern typography, "brevier" is roughly equivalent to 7.5 points in the Anglo-American point system, though it is rarely used today.
- Modern digital fonts rarely include a specific brevier size, but historical reproductions may specify it. (The term is now mostly historical.)
Variants and Related Words
Brevier (alternate spelling): a variant of "brevier" (same meaning).
- The printer ordered a font in brevier for the new edition. (Same as "brevier".)
Brevier type (n): a compound term referring to the typeface itself.
- The brevier type was chosen for its readability in small sizes. (The specific 8-point typeface.)
Synonyms
Eight-point type (n): a modern descriptor for the same size.
- The text was set in eight-point type, historically called brevier. (Equivalent measurement.)
Small print (n): a general term for small type, though not exact.
- The footnotes were in small print, similar to brevier. (Approximate meaning.)
Related Idioms
- In brevier: a phrase used historically to mean "in small type" or "in a compact format."
- The dictionary was printed in brevier to make it portable. (In a small type size.)