How Do You Spell MICROFICHES?

Pronunciation: [mˈa͡ɪkɹə͡ʊfˌɪʃɪz] (IPA)

The word "microfiches" is a plural noun used to refer to small, flat sheets of microfilm that contain several pages of information. The spelling "microfiches" is pronounced as /ˈmaɪkrəʊfiːʃɪz/, where the /ɪz/ sound at the end indicates the plural form. The word is derived from the combining of the prefix "micro-" meaning "small" and "fiche" meaning "card" in French. With increasing digitization, the use of microfiches has declined, but they are still used in certain industries like libraries and archives.

MICROFICHES Meaning and Definition

1. Microfiches refer to small-sized sheets of film or transparent material containing reduced-size images of documents, photographs, or other printed materials. These images are typically opaque and are printed using microphotography techniques. Microfiches are commonly used for compact storage and preservation of vast quantities of information in a compact and easily retrievable format.

   Measuring typically around 10.5 x 14.8 centimeters (4 x 6 inches), microfiches allow for the storage of numerous pages of text and images. The information can be recorded on the microfiche by photographing it directly or by converting existing documents into this format. Multiple pages can be arranged on a single microfiche, with images compressed to fit the reduced size while maintaining legibility.

   Microfiches are often utilized in libraries, government agencies, and archival institutions as a space-saving method to preserve and provide access to large collections of printed materials. They are stored in special microfiche jackets or envelopes, organized into categories based on their content or origin.

   To access information stored on microfiches, specialized readers or machines called microfiche readers are usually utilized. These machines use magnification and light sources to display the images enl

Etymology of MICROFICHES

The word "microfiche" originated from French. It combines the words "micro", meaning small, and "fiche", which refers to a card or index card.

The term "microfiche" was coined in the early 20th century when the technology of microphotography was being developed. Microphotography allowed for the reduction of large documents onto a small piece of film. These reduced documents were then referred to as "microfiches", as they were miniaturized versions of the original documents.

Over time, microfiches became widely used for storing and archiving various types of information, such as newspapers, books, and official records. Today, with the advancement of digital technologies, microfiches have been largely replaced by digital scanning and storage systems.