What does cicero mean?
A cicero is a unit of measurement used in typography, chiefly in continental Europe, equal to twelve Didot points, or approximately 4.51 millimetres. It serves the same purpose as the pica in Anglo-American printing: measuring type sizes, line lengths, and page layouts. The unit takes its name from the body size of type cut by early printers, which was reportedly associated with a letter stamped on an ancient Roman coin — a coin so small it recalled the chickpea (Latin cicer), from which the family name of the orator Marcus Tullius Cicero is traditionally said to derive. In everyday English, however, far more people encounter 'Cicero' capitalized, as the name of the great Roman orator whose speeches, letters, and philosophical writings shaped Western rhetoric and political thought. Lowercase 'cicero' survives mainly among typographers and print historians.
A unit of typographic measurement used mainly in continental Europe, equal to 12 Didot points (about 4.51 millimetres), comparable to the Anglo-American pica.
"The text block was set to a measure of 24 ciceros."
Used almost exclusively in printing and typesetting contexts, particularly in countries using the Didot system such as France, Germany, and Spain.
Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 BC), Roman orator, statesman, and philosopher, whose writings profoundly influenced Western rhetoric and political philosophy.
"Cicero's orations against Catiline remain classics of Latin prose."
This sense always uses the capitalized form and is a proper noun.
The plural applies to the typographic unit; measurements are commonly expressed simply as a numeral followed by the singular form, e.g. '12 cicero'.
"The margin measured three full ciceros."
Europe's printers still measure type in 'ciceros' — a unit named after a chickpea-sized Roman coin, not after the famous orator himself.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cicero
The word derives ultimately from the Latin family name Tullius Cicero, borne by the orator Marcus Tullius Cicero. Plutarch reports that the surname 'Cicero' referred to a chickpea (Latin cicer), either because an ancestor had a chickpea-shaped notch on his nose or because the family grew the crop. The typographic unit named 'cicero' was established in France in the 18th century when the Didot point system was formalized, honouring that same Roman name; cognates sharing the root include words for the chickpea itself, such as English 'chickpea' and Italian 'cece'.
Related word forms
How cicero is actually used
Lowercase 'cicero' refers to the typographic unit and appears mainly in printing and publishing contexts, especially in continental Europe where Didot-based systems are standard; Anglo-American printers use pica points instead. Capitalized 'Cicero' refers to the Roman statesman and is overwhelmingly the more familiar form for general readers.
Easily confused with cicero
A cicerone is a knowledgeable guide who leads visitors through museums or historic sites, whereas a cicero (lowercase) is a unit of typographic measurement.
A point is the smaller Anglo-American typographic unit (about 0.35 mm), while a cicero is the larger continental European unit equal to 12 Didot points.