drop cap

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "drop cap" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used in typography and design to refer to a large capital letter at the beginning of a paragraph or section of text. Example: "The article featured a beautiful drop cap that drew the reader's attention to the opening sentence."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Both the rigid and deformable (bubble, drop) cap body was considered.

Chemical Engineering Science

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

On the design side, Medium's editor now lets users add drop caps by highlighting the first letter or word in a post.

TechCrunch

In addition to that, Apple has worked with J.K. Rowling's team to produce enhanced editions — you can expect new animated illustrations and exclusive author notes, custom typefaces and drop caps.

TechCrunch

Medium's design sets it apart from other online publishing platforms, however, and making it faster to add flourishes like drop caps may help it as new competitors (like Facebook's revamped notes) spring up.

TechCrunch

KF8 is a major improvement over Mobi, with 150 new formatting styles including embedded fonts, drop caps and CSS selectors such as line spacing, alignment, justification, margin, color, style and borders.

TechCrunch

As anyone who has ever worked on newspaper or magazine layouts know, drop caps are the quickest way to make an article look professional, even though starting with an enlarged capital letter adds very little to the readability of online text.

TechCrunch

There are so many bigger ideas out there for a second term, including dropping "cap and trade" for a carbon tax which would return money to the American people -- modeled after the Alaska Permanent Fund (which Alaskans love -- even Sarah Palin).

Huffington Post

Along with the complete works of Aristotle (one of whose volumes features an exquisite drop-cap delta entangled in vines), Aldus also published Virgil, in slanting letters of his own design.

The New Yorker

Chronicle content does not come under administrative control- vulgar column drop-caps included.

Huffington Post

The reason: A series of columns run in the newspaper's goodbye issue that overtly spelled the words 'penis' and 'c*nt' via the bolded drop-caps starting each column.

Huffington Post

So drop the caps.

The New York Times - Books

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using a "drop cap", ensure it aligns visually with the rest of the paragraph and doesn't disrupt the flow of reading. Maintain consistent spacing and alignment for a professional appearance.

Common error

Avoid mixing different "drop cap" styles within the same document. Stick to a consistent design to maintain a cohesive and professional look throughout your text.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "drop cap" functions as a noun, specifically referring to a typographical element. Ludwig AI identifies it as grammatically correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Science

30%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "drop cap" refers to a large initial letter at the beginning of a paragraph. Ludwig AI confirms it is grammatically correct, though relatively uncommon in general usage. It's most frequently found in News & Media and Science. When using a "drop cap", consistency is key to maintain a professional look. Semantically related terms include "initial letter" and "versal letter". Understanding its proper application and design considerations can enhance the visual appeal of your documents.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

initial letter

Focuses on the letter itself, rather than its stylistic treatment.

versal letter

A more formal term for a large initial letter, emphasizing its ornamental nature.

initial

A shorter and more general term referring to the first letter.

enlarged initial

Highlights the size difference of the initial letter.

decorative initial

Emphasizes the aesthetic aspect of the initial letter.

illuminated initial

Describes an initial with elaborate designs, often historical.

displayed initial

Refers to the prominent presentation of the initial letter.

opening initial

Focuses on the initial's position at the start of a text.

large capital

Describes the letter's size and case.

oversized initial

Emphasizes the size of the initial as being larger than usual.

FAQs

How is a "drop cap" used in typography?

A "drop cap" is a large initial letter that drops below the first line of a paragraph, commonly used to enhance the visual appeal and indicate the start of a new section or chapter.

What's another name for a "drop cap"?

A "drop cap" can also be called an "initial letter" or a "versal", both referring to the same typographical element.

What are the design considerations when using a "drop cap"?

Design considerations include ensuring the "drop cap" aligns with the text baseline, doesn't create excessive whitespace, and complements the overall font and layout of the document.

Is there a difference between a "drop cap" and a raised capital?

Yes, a "drop cap" extends downward from the first line, while a raised capital extends upward, sitting above the first line of text. They are distinct stylistic choices.