Definition

1. Noun:

   • A duplicating machine: A device, now largely obsolete, used for making multiple copies of written or typed documents. It operates by using a stencil with small holes created by a toothed wheel.
   • The writing implement itself: Specifically, the pen-like tool with a small, spiked wheel used to perforate a stencil for the duplicating process.

2. Verb:

   • To duplicate using a cyclostyle: The act of printing or making copies using a cyclostyle machine.

Usage

• The word "cyclostyle" can function as both a noun (the machine or tool) and a verb (the action of using it).
• As a historical term, it is most commonly found in descriptions of early 20th-century office technology or historical contexts.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The office newsletter was produced using an old cyclostyle.
  • He used a cyclostyle to create the stencil for the announcement.
• Verb:
  • They would cyclostyle the meeting notes for all the members.
  • The pamphlet was cyclostyled and distributed secretly.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in historical or archival discussions to describe pre-photocopier duplication methods.
• It can appear in metaphorical or literary contexts to evoke a sense of outdated or laborious reproduction.
  • The manifesto was cyclostyled, giving it a gritty, underground feel.

Variants and Related Words

• Cyclostyled (adjective/verb, past tense): Describes something duplicated by this method or the past action of doing so.
  • We found a box of cyclostyled leaflets from the 1950s.
• Cyclostyling (noun/gerund): The process or act of using a cyclostyle.
  • Cyclostyling was a common office skill before the digital age.

Synonyms

• Noun: Duplicator, stencil duplicator, mimeograph machine.
• Verb: Duplicate, mimeograph, stencil.

Related Phrases

• "Cyclostyle machine": The full term for the duplicating apparatus.
  • The cyclostyle machine was replaced by the photocopier.
• "Cyclostyle ink": The special ink used in the duplicating process.
  • The cyclostyle ink tended to smudge if you weren't careful.

Notes

• The "cyclostyle" is a precursor to modern photocopiers and digital printers. Its name derives from the circular (cyclo-) motion of its toothed wheel (-style) as it perforates the stencil.
• As a technology, it is obsolete, so the word is primarily encountered in historical texts.

Noun

1. a writing implement with a small toothed wheel that cuts small holes in a stencil

Verb

1. print with an implement with small toothed wheels that cuts small holes in a stencil