Word Study
Italic
CIDE DICTIONARY
Italic, a. [L. Italicus: cf. F. italique. Cf. Italian.].
- Relating to Italy or to its people. [1913 Webster]
- Applied especially to a kind of type in which the letters do not stand upright, but slope toward the right; -- so called because dedicated to the States of Italy by the inventor,
Aldus Manutius , about the year 1500. [1913 Webster]
Italic, n.
An Italic letter, character, or type (see Italic, a. , 2.); -- often in the plural; as, the Italics are the author's. Italic letters are used to distinguish words for emphasis, importance, antithesis, etc. Also, collectively, Italic letters. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
Italic, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 a Printing of the sloping kind of letters now used esp. for emphasis or distinction and in foreign words. b (of handwriting) compact and pointed like early Italian handwriting.
2 (Italic) of ancient Italy.
--n.
1 a letter in italic type.
2 this type.
--adj.
1 a Printing of the sloping kind of letters now used esp. for emphasis or distinction and in foreign words. b (of handwriting) compact and pointed like early Italian handwriting.
2 (Italic) of ancient Italy.
--n.
1 a letter in italic type.
2 this type.
Etymology
L italicus f. Gk italikos Italian (because introduced by Aldo Manuzio of Venice)
THESAURUS
Italic
ascender, autograph, autographic, back, bastard type, beard, belly, bevel, black letter, body, calligraphic, cap, capital, case, chirographic, counter, cursive, descender, em, en, engrossed, face, fat-faced type, feet, flowing, font, graphic, graphoanalytic, graphologic, graphometric, groove, holograph, holographic, in longhand, in shorthand, in writing, inscribed, italicized, letter, ligature, logotype, longhand, lower case, majuscule, manuscript, minuscule, nick, on paper, penciled, penned, pi, pica, point, print, printed, roman, running, sans serif, script, scriptorial, scriptural, shank, shorthand, shoulder, small cap, small capital, stamp, stem, stylographic, type, type body, type class, type lice, typecase, typeface, typefounders, typefoundry, upper case, writtenFor further exploring for "Italic" in Webster Dictionary Online