Typeface
/ˈtaɪp.feɪs/noun
A set of printed characters in a particular design and style.
Did you know?The word is a printing term built from *type* + *face*, where *face* means the front surface of the metal letter, not a personality—so typography began as a craft of shaping visible bodies for language.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
tīpe
“a form or kind; later influenced by French and Latin forms”
Latin
Latin
typus
“a figure, image, model, or imprint”
Greek
Greek
typos
“a blow, mark, impression, or model”
Middle English
English
type
“a printed character or letter, especially a metal block used in printing”
19th Century
English
type-face
“the face or front surface of a piece of type; by extension, the design of a font”
Modern English
English
typeface
“a particular design of printed letters and characters”
Explore more surprising origins