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One who composes or sets in order.

The space between two rows of compositors' stands in a printing office.

lso setting rule. -- Composing stick (Print.), an instrument usually of metal, which the compositor holds in his left hand, and in which he arranges the type in words and lines. It has one open side, and one adjustable end by means of which the length of the lines, and consequently the width of the page or column, may…

A device for holding copy for a compositor.

Among compositors, a doublet (see Doublet,

Of a character which enables the compositor to make large wages; -- said of matter containing blank, cuts, or many leads, etc.; as, a fat take; a fat page. Fat lute, a mixture of pipe clay and oil for filling joints.

Of a character which prevents the compositor from earning the usual wages; -- opposed to fat; as lean copy, matter, or type.

A word or words omitted by the compositor in setting up copy; an omission. To make an out (Print.), to omit something, in setting or correcting type, which was in the copy.

One who prints; especially, one who prints books, newspapers, engravings, etc., a compositor; a typesetter; a pressman. Printer's devil, Printer's gauge. See under Devil, and Gauge. -- Printer's ink. See Printing ink, below.

A shabby, beggarly fellow; a ragamuffin. The other zealous rag is the compositor. B. Jonson. Upon the proclamation, they all came in, both tag and rag. Spenser.

The quantity or copy given to a compositor at one time.

One who, or that which, sets type; a compositor; a machine for setting type.

A compositor. [Colloq.]

(formerly King's Bench) during the Commonwealth. -- Upper case, the top one of a pair of compositor's cases. See the Note under 1st Case, n., 3. -- Upper covert (Zoöl.), one of the coverts situated above the bases of the tail quills. -- Upper deck (Naut.), the topmost deck of any vessel; the spar deck. -- Upper lea…