type

noun

1. a person, thing, or event that represents or symbolizes another, esp. another that it is thought will appear later; symbol; token; sign
2. Rare a distinguishing mark, sign, or impress
3. the general form, structure, plan, style, etc. characterizing or distinguishing the members of a class or group
4. a kind, class, or group having distinguishing characteristics in common [a new type of airplane, an animal of the dog type]: in informal usage, often used elliptically immediately preceding the noun [a new type airplane]
5. a person, animal, or thing that is representative of, or has the distinctive characteristics of, a class or group; typical individual or instance
6. a perfect example; model; pattern; archetype
7. Informal an odd or eccentric person; character
8. Agric. the combination of characters of an animal or breed that make it most suitable for a particular use beef type, dairy type
9. Biol.
   1. the single specimen designated as the one on which the original description and name of a taxon have been based
   2. type genus or type species
10. Math. the simplest of a set of equivalent forms
11. Printing
    1. a rectangular piece of metal or, esp. formerly, wood, with a raised letter, figure, etc. in reverse on its upper end which, when inked and pressed against a piece of paper or other material, as in a printing press or on a typewriter, leaves an ink impression of its face; also, such pieces collectively or the characters printed from them
    2. a character or characters formed electronically and produced by a computer printer
    3. photographic reproductions of print used in photocomposition
    4. a particular face of type

Etymology: LL(Ec) typus, a model, symbol < L & Gr: L, a figure < Gr typos, a figure, archetype, model, orig., a blow, mark made by a blow < typtein: see tympan

transitive verb typed, typing typ′·ing

1. Now Rare
   1. to prefigure
   2. to typify; represent
2. to classify according to type to be typed as a villain
3. to write using the keyboard of a typewriter or computer
4. Med. to determine the type of (a blood sample)

intransitive verb