pica

See also Pica, piča, and píča

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: pīkə, IPA: /ˈpaɪkə/, X-SAMPA: "paIk@/
• Rhymes: -aɪkə

Etymology 1

From Latin pīca, “magpie”, “jay” (from the idea that magpies will eat almost anything)

Noun

Wikipedia pica (usually uncountable; plural picas)

1. A vitiated appetite that craves what is unfit for food, as chalk, ashes, coal, etc.; chthonophagia.
   • 1986, George S Baroff, Mental retardation: nature, cause, and management

     The three most common nonfood picas were eating of strings and rags; feces, vomit, and urine; and paper, cigarettes, and soil.

Synonyms

• allotriophagy
• geophagy

Translations

appetite that craves which is unfit for food

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 異食癖 (cmn), 异食癖 (cmn) (yìshípǐ)

• Finnish: pica-oireyhtymä (fi)
• Spanish: please add this translation if you can

Etymology 2

The printing senses are probably from named the obsolete service book, which used this type size (compare canon and brevier) . In turn seemingly from Latin pīca (“magpie”), after the piebald appearance of the typeset page (compare pie (“disordered type”)).

Noun

pica (countable and uncountable; plural picas)

1. (typography, uncountable) A size of type.
2. (typography, countable) A unit of measure equivalent to 12 points.
   1. The traditional British and American pica, about 4.22 mm, or 0.166 in (close to 1/6 of an inch).
   2. The PostScript pica, 1/6 of an inch.
3. (obsolete) A Roman Catholic service book; a type of ecclesiastical calendar book.

Derived terms

• pica point

See also

• cicero
• em
• en
• point

Etymology 3

Noun

pica (plural picas)

1. Archaic form of pika. (small rodent)
   • 1895, Richard Lydekker, The Royal Natural History (volume 3, page 190)

     Most travellers in the Himalaya are familiar with the pretty little Rodents, known as picas, tailless hares, or mouse-hares, which may be seen in the higher regions […]

Anagrams

• ACPI, paci

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Catalan

Noun

pica f (plural piques)

1. bowl
2. sink

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Latin

Noun

pīca (genitive pīcae); f, first declension

1. magpie

Inflection

Number	Singular	Plural
nominative	pīca	pīcae
genitive	pīcae	pīcārum
dative	pīcae	pīcīs
accusative	pīcam	pīcās
ablative	pīcā	pīcīs
vocative	pīca	pīcae

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Romanian

Etymology

From pic. Compare also Aromanian chicu, chicare.

Verb

a pica (third-person singular present pică, past participle picat) 1st conj.

1. (of a liquid) to drip
2. (literally and figuratively) to fall
3. to fail
4. to come unexpectedly

Conjugation

    conjugation of pica (First conjugation)

infinitive			a pica
gerund			picând
past participle			picat
number		singular			plural
person		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		eu	tu	el/ea	noi	voi	ei/ele
	present	pic	pici	pică	picăm	picați	pică
	imperfect	picam	picai	pica	picam	picați	picau
	simple perfect	picai	picași	pică	picarăm	picarăți	picară
	pluperfect	picasem	picaseși	picase	picaserăm	picaserăți	picaseră
subjunctive		eu	tu	el/ea	noi	voi	ei/ele
	present	să pic	să pici	să pice	să picăm	să picați	să pice
imperative		—	tu	—	—	voi	—
	affirmative		pică			picați
	negative		nu pica			nu picați

Synonyms

• (drip): picura
• (fall): cădea

Derived terms

• picătură

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Serbo-Croatian

Etymology 1

Hypocoristic form derived from pízda (“cunt”).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /pǐːtsa/
• Hyphenation: pi‧ca

Noun

píca f (Cyrillic spelling пи́ца)

1. (vulgar, hypocoristic) cunt, pussy

Declension

    declension of pica

	singular	plural
nominative	pica	pice
genitive	pice	pica
dative	pici	picama
accusative	picu	pice
vocative	pico	pice
locative	pici	picama
instrumental	picom	picama

Etymology 2

From Italian pizza.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /pîtsa/
• Hyphenation: pi‧ca

Noun

pȉca f (Cyrillic spelling пи̏ца)

1. pizza

Declension

    declension of pica

	singular	plural
nominative	pica	pice
genitive	pice	pica
dative	pici	picama
accusative	picu	pice
vocative	pico	pice
locative	pici	picama
instrumental	picom	picama

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Slovene

Pronunciation

• IPA: [ˈpi.tsə]

Noun

pica f

1. pizza

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Spanish

Noun

pica f (plural picas)

1. pike, lance
2. pick (digging tool)
3. (card games) spade

Derived terms

• sacar picas

See also

• (playing card suits) palo de la baraja; corazón, diamante, pica, trébol ^{(Category: es:Card games)}

Verb

pica (infinitive picar)

1. Informal second-person singular (tú) affirmative imperative form of picar.
2. Formal second-person singular (usted) present indicative form of picar.
3. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present indicative form of picar.