What does "pica" mean?
A disorder characterized by appetite and craving for non-edible substances, such as chalk, clay, dirt, ice, or sand.
Pica
/ˈpaɪkə/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A disorder characterized by appetite and craving for non-edible substances, such as chalk, clay, dirt, ice, or sand.
- Grammar: pica is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: analgesia, anesthesia, anxiety equivalent, ascender.
- Useful contrasts: normal appetite.
- Usage evidence: The three most common nonfood picas were eating of strings and rags; feces, vomit, and urine; and paper, cigarettes, and soil.
How to use "pica"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "pica" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "pica" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "pica" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "pica" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "pica" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "analgesia" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "pica", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A disorder characterized by appetite and craving for non-edible substances, such as chalk, clay, dirt, ice, or sand. uncountable, usually
"The three most common nonfood picas were eating of strings and rags; feces, vomit, and urine; and paper, cigarettes, and soil."
- 2 A size of type between small pica and English, now standardized as 12-point. uncountable
"I had been at Baldwin's before dinner in consequence of a letter from him which showed me that, by using a pica instead of an English letter in printing my book, I might comprise it within such a number of sheets as a guinea-volume should contain […]."
- 3 Archaic form of pika (“small lagomorph”). alt-of, archaic
"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[…]"
- 4 Abbreviation of phenolic impregnated carbon ablator. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, uncountable
- 5 a linear unit (1/6 inch) used in printing wordnet
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 A magpie. countable
- 7 A font of this size. uncountable, usually
- 8 Initialism of posterior inferior cerebellar artery. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
- 9 an eating disorder, frequent in children, in which non-nutritional objects are eaten persistently wordnet
- 10 A unit of length equivalent to 12 points, officially ³⁵⁄₈₃ cm (0.166 in) after 1886 but now (computing) ¹⁄₆ in. countable
- 11 A pie or directory: the book directing Roman Catholic observance of saints' days and other feasts under various calendars. countable, uncommon, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
normal appetite
Example
"The three most common nonfood picas were eating of strings and rags; feces, vomit, and urine; and paper, cigarettes, and soil."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "pica"?
Common synonyms include: analgesia, anesthesia, anxiety equivalent, ascender, back, bastard type.
How do you use "pica" in a sentence?
The three most common nonfood picas were eating of strings and rags; feces, vomit, and urine; and paper, cigarettes, and soil.
How do you pronounce "pica"?
Pronounced /ˈpaɪkə/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Latin pīca (“jay; magpie”). Doublet of pie (“magpie”). * (pathology): From the idea that magpies will eat almost anything.
Etymology 2
From Medieval Latin pica (“pica: a service book”), possibly from Latin pīca (“magpie”) after the piebald appearance of the typeset page (cf. pie (“disordered type”)). The relation to the printer's measure is unclear, as no edition of the text in pica type is known. The French pica derives from English rather than vice versa.