pica
- A type of eating disorder characterized by the persistent consumption of non-nutritive substances, such as dirt, clay, or paper, over a period of at least one month. nounThe doctor diagnosed the child with pica after observing her eating chalk regularly.Pica can sometimes be a sign of nutritional deficiencies or mental health disorders.
- A unit of measurement used in typography, equal to approximately 1/6 of an inch or 12 points. nounThe designer adjusted the margins to be exactly two picas wide.In the printing industry, pica is a standard unit for measuring column width.