Pica

From Latin pÄ«ca ("magpie, jay") (from the idea that magpies will eat almost anything).

Full definition of pica

(usually uncountable; plural picas)

(medicine) A disorder characterized by craving and appetite for non-edible substances, such as ice, clay, chalk, dirt, or sand.

1986, George S Baroff, Mental retardation: nature, cause, and management, The three most common nonfood picas were eating of strings and rags; feces, vomit, and urine; and paper, cigarettes, and soil.

The printing senses are probably from named the obsolete service book, which used this type size (compare canon and brevier)

. In turn seemingly from Latin pÄ«ca ("magpie"), after the piebald appearance of the typeset page (compare pie ("disordered type")).

(countable and uncountable; plural picas)

The traditional British and American pica, about 4.22Â mm, or 0.166Â in (close to 1/6 of an inch).
(computing) The PostScript pica, 1/6 of an inch.

(obsolete) A Roman Catholic service book; a type of ecclesiastical calendar book.

(plural picas)

1895, Richard Lydekker, The Royal Natural History (volume 3, page 190)Most travellers in the Himalaya are familiar with the pretty little Rodents, known as picas, tailless hares, or mouse-hares, which may be seen in the higher regions...