Definition

Proper noun 1. A surname of German origin: Specifically refers to Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the European movable type printing press. 2. A historical figure in printing: Denotes the person credited with revolutionizing communication in Europe through the invention of mechanical movable type printing.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • Gutenberg's invention dramatically increased the spread of information.
  • Many historians study the life and work of Gutenberg.

Advanced Usage

• The Gutenberg era: Refers to the period following the invention of the printing press, marking a shift from manuscript culture to print culture.
  • The Gutenberg era fundamentally changed education and literacy.
• Gutenberg Bible: Also known as the 42-line Bible, it is the first major book printed using mass-produced movable metal type in Europe.
  • The Gutenberg Bible is renowned for its high aesthetic and technical quality.

Variants and Related Words

• Gutenbergian (adjective): Pertaining to Johannes Gutenberg or his printing method.
  • The Gutenbergian press was a landmark technological innovation.

Synonyms

• Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg: The full name of the historical figure.
• The father of printing: An epithet for Gutenberg.

Related Phrases and Cultural References

• The Gutenberg Galaxy: A concept and book title by Marshall McLuhan, referring to the social and cultural effects of print technology.
  • McLuhan argued that the Gutenberg Galaxy created the modern individual.
• Gutenberg discontinuity: A term in geology referring to a seismic discontinuity within Earth's mantle, named after the seismologist Beno Gutenberg (a different individual).
  • The Gutenberg discontinuity is located approximately 2,900 km below the Earth's surface.

Noun

1. German printer who was the first in Europe to print using movable type and the first to use a press (1400-1468)