Microprints

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Very small printed characters or patterns that are barely legible without a magnifying glass ; minute hidden markings incorporated into banknotes or documents to deter forgery
2. Extremely tiny lettering or designs that require magnification to read ; concealed fine patterns placed on currency or certificates to prevent counterfeiting
3. Minuscule printed words or figures that can only be seen under magnification ; tiny embedded security markings used to authenticate valuable papers and banknotes

Etymology: Microprints are tiny lettering, too small to read without magnification, and the word is simply "micro-" attached to "print." The prefix comes from Ancient Greek "mīkrós," meaning small, which entered English as the combining form "micro-." The noun "print" traces back through Middle English "printen" to Latin "imprimere," meaning to press into or impress, which is why printing is at heart a matter of pressing marks onto a surface. Put together, the two parts describe exactly what the word is: writing pressed into a surface at a scale so small that the letters can only be read with a lens. The word is a plain compound, with no folk story behind it, and its meaning follows directly from its two halves.