Английский разговорный словарь (основной) - daisy wheel

noun Also written daisy-wheel or daisywheel (Science and Technology) A removable printing unit in some computer printers and electronic typewriters, consisting of a disc of spokes extending radially from a central hub, each spoke having a single printing character at its outer end. Etymology: Formed by compounding: a wheel which in some ways resembles a daisy with its radiating 'petals'. History and Usage: The daisy wheel type of printer was introduced in the late seventies and proved a popular alternative to dot-matrix printing in cases where clear, typewriter-like quality was needed. The wheel revolves to position the next character in front of a single hammer (a process which in the early machines was both slow and noisy, although this was improved in later models). The wheels are removable, allowing a number of different scripts or founts to be used on a single printer, but only text can be printed (a limitation which does not apply to the cheaper, poorer-quality dot-matrix or the more expensive, top-quality laser printers--both can also print graphics such as charts and graphs). As I write, an IBM word processor with daisywheel sits malevolently waiting for me in a customs shed. Anthony Burgess Homage to QWERTYUIOP (1986), p. xii