printer's devil

noun

An apprentice printer.

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Meanings

nounprinter's devil (plural printer's devils or printers' devils)

plural printer's devils · plural printers' devils

  1. datedAn apprentice printer.

    The latest of the personal magazinettes to come under our observation is The East Side, a peculiarly New York product, of which Zoe Anderson Norris, of 338 East Fifteenth street, is printer's devil […]

    1909, The Independent, volume 67, page 711

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
devil

Origin

Of unclear etymology. The most widely accepted theories are that apprentice printers were often covered in ink, giving them a demonic appearance, or that they were responsible for errors in manuscripts and thus associated with Titivillus, the supposed devil of scribal errors. See Wikipedia for further details.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Irish giolla clódóra
  • giolla clódóraapprentice printer
Polish pomocnik drukarza
  • pomocnik drukarzaapprentice printer
Cite this entry
APA

printer's devil. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/printer's%20devil

MLA

“printer's devil.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/printer's%20devil. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “printer's devil,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/printer's%20devil.

Source: printer's devil on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.