composing-stick

Definition

Noun: A composing-stick is a handheld tool used in typesetting to hold type pieces (individual letters and spaces) while they are being assembled into lines of text. It is typically a narrow, rectangular metal or wooden frame with an adjustable slide to accommodate different line lengths.

Usage Examples

• (Holding the type pieces for assembly.)
• (Setting the stick to the desired width.)

Advanced Usage

• "to work with a composing-stick": to perform the manual task of setting type.
  • In traditional letterpress printing, apprentices learned to work with a composing-stick before operating the press. (To master the skill of hand typesetting.)

Variants and Related Words

• Compose (verb): to arrange type in a composing-stick.
  • The printer had to compose each line letter by letter. (To set type manually.)
• Compositor (noun): a person who sets type, using a composing-stick.
  • The compositor worked quickly, filling the stick with type for the book. (A skilled typesetter.)

Synonyms

• Type stick: another term for composing-stick.
• Setting stick: a less common synonym.

Related Idioms

• "stickful of type": the amount of type that fits in a composing-stick at one time.
  • He set a full stickful of type before taking a break. (The quantity held by the stick.)