Definition
A printing device that reproduces documents by forcing ink through a stencil onto paper, widely used in schools and offices from the 1920s through the 1980s before photocopiers and digital printing became standard. Known for producing purple or blue-tinted copies with a distinctive chemical smell.
Example Usage
The teacher ran off copies of the quiz on the mimeograph machine, and the whole room smelled like the distinctive ink.
Origin
From Greek 'mimeo-' (imitate) and '-graph' (write), describing a machine that imitates writing through stencil reproduction.
Fun Fact
The smell of mimeograph fluid has become a powerful nostalgic trigger for millions of people who attended school before the 1990s; some describe it as the 'smell of school.'
Related Terms
Translate This Term
See “mimeograph” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.
Try the Translator