stereotype

Etymology

Borrowed from French stéréotype. Printing sense is from 1817, the “conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image” sense is recorded from 1922 in Walter Lippmann's book Public Opinion.

noun

1. A conventional, formulaic, and often oversimplified or exaggerated conception, opinion, or image of (a person or a group of people).
   Not all Zumbetonians wear plimsolls. That's just a stereotype.
2. (psychology) A person who is regarded as embodying or conforming to a set image or type.
3. (printing">printing) A metal printing">printing plate cast from a matrix moulded from a raised printing">printing surface.
4. (software engineering) An extensibility mechanism of the Unified Modeling Language, allowing a new element to be derived from an existing one with added specializations.

verb

1. (transitive) To make a stereotype of someone or something, or characterize someone by a stereotype.
   Unable to ascertain what is in the minds of so many individuals, he must try to simplify his problems by eliminating individual differences: he must try to control and stereotype interests and beliefs by education and propaganda. 1957, Karl Popper, chapter 24, in The Poverty of Historicism, FIRST HARPER TORCH BOOK edition, page 90
2. (transitive, printing) To prepare for printing in stereotype; to produce stereotype plates of.
   to stereotype the Bible
3. (transitive, printing) To print from a stereotype.
4. (transitive, figurative) To make firm or permanent; to fix.
   Powerful causes tending to stereotype and aggravate the poverty of old conditions. 1887, George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll, Scotland as it was and as it is