Word.ws English Dictionary

dot matrix

Syllables: dot ma·trixUK/ˈdɒt ˌmeɪtɹɪks/US/ˈdɑt ˌmætɹɪks/

dot matrix noun: a two-dimensional array or pattern of dots used (for example, by a display device or a printer) to represent alphanumeric characters and pictures. Also the clipping of dot matrix printer.

Noun

dot matrix (plural dot matrices or dot matrixes)

  1. (also, attributive) A two-dimensional array or pattern of dots used (for example, by a display device or a printer) to represent alphanumeric characters and pictures.
    • On most terminals, hardware-generated characters are displayed as dot matrixes inside rectangular envelopes[…]. The exact manner in which this is done depends on the kind of terminal.1980 December (updated 1984 September), “Picture-description Subroutines”, in Richard A. Salisbury, editor, Integrated Graphics System (MTS [Michigan Terminal System]; 17), Ann Arbor, Mich....
    • Press the SHIFT and the asterisk (*) keys. An 8 by 16 dot matrix is displayed in the upper left corner of the display.1983 November 21, “Maintenance Instructions”, in Operator’s, Organizational, and Direct Support Maintenance Manual: Satellite Communications Set: AN/USC-28(V) (NSN 5895-01-089-7518) [Change No. 2]...

Also used as

dot matrix is also the clipping of dot matrix printer.

Examples of dot matrix in a sentence

  • Dot matrix printers make up a letter in the same manner as a CRT display.1984 March, Myron Hecht, Herbert Hecht, Laurence Press, “Overview of Microcomputers”, in Microcomputers: Introduction to Features and Uses...
  • From the dome's center, a computerized dot matrix representation of a human eye blossoms outward, rapidly revealing dissident Blake's tortured face.2000, John Kenneth Muir, “Season Overview, Series A (1978)”, in A History and Critical Analysis of Blake’s 7: The 1978–1981 British...
  • At close range, the painting [Georges Seurat's Le Cirque] is like a dot matrix of color: individual reds and blues and yellows perched side by side, giving the illusion of blending from a distance.2014, Prudence Shen, Do Not Touch: A Tor.com Original, New York, N.Y.: Tor Books, →ISBN:
  • A dot matrix is a 2-dimensional patterned array, used to represent characters, symbols and images.2016, “Dot matrix”, in Tomorrow’s Technology and You: Introductory: e-Study Guide (Just the Facts101: Textbook Key Facts), [s.l.]: Cram101...

Forms of dot matrix

pluraldot matrices
pluraldot matrixes

Questions about dot matrix

What does dot matrix mean?
Dot matrix means a two-dimensional array or pattern of dots used (for example, by a display device or a printer) to represent alphanumeric characters and pictures.
How do you use dot matrix in a sentence?
Dot matrix printers make up a letter in the same manner as a CRT display.
What part of speech is dot matrix?
Dot matrix is a noun.
How do you pronounce dot matrix?
Dot matrix is pronounced /ˈdɒt ˌmeɪtɹɪks/ (UK).
What is the plural of dot matrix?
The plural of dot matrix is dot matrices.

Words near dot matrix in the dictionary

  1. dot dot slash
  2. dot down
  3. dot Indian
  4. dot Indians
  5. dot matrices
  6. dot matrix
  7. dot matrix printer
  8. dot matrix printers
  9. dot matrixes
  10. dot or feather
  11. dot painting

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: dot matrix (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-au-dot matrix.ogg.

Cite this entry: “dot matrix.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/dot_matrix. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.