photocopy

1 of 2

noun

pho·​to·​copy ˈfō-tə-ˌkä-pē How to pronounce photocopy (audio)
: a copy of usually printed material made with a process in which an image is formed by the action of light usually on an electrically charged surface

photocopy

2 of 2

verb

photocopied; photocopying; photocopies

transitive verb

: to make a photocopy of

intransitive verb

: to make a photocopy
photocopier noun

Examples of photocopy in a Sentence

Noun She made a photocopy of the letter.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Displaying stapled photocopies meant to be subterranean and anti-institutional behind glass, in a museum, will always feel a bit strange, particularly when the original appeal of zines was both their tactility and their disposability. Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2024 Bring photocopies of your passports and prescriptions. Bryan West, USA TODAY, 19 Jan. 2024 At that point, make several photocopies of your drawing and set the original drawing aside. Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Feb. 2024 But officials tore up a photocopy of Mr. Gul’s Afghan Citizen Card, a document issued by the Pakistani government allowing Afghan refugees to stay legally, the family said. Zia Ur-Rehman, New York Times, 23 Nov. 2023 Displayed on wallpaper, in grids, projections, photocopies, conceptual assemblages, contact sheets and books, his work embraces the dark flux of life that cannot be contained, but must somehow be preserved. Emily Labarge, New York Times, 21 Nov. 2023 Copies of important paperwork: Keep photocopies of important household paperwork such as proof of address, driver's license, insurance, adoption papers, or naturalization certificates. Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 30 Aug. 2023 Some prisoners will only get black-and-white photocopies of their mail. Sanya Mansoor, Time, 20 July 2023 Only on closer inspection does the viewer note a small photocopy of Bradley’s yearbook photo, high up amid the blackness. Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 7 June 2023
Verb
McClure said the delay was minimal, though, as a school employee quickly photocopied additional forms. David Jackson, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2024 In classic Nolan fashion, the screenplay is printed on red paper and written in black ink so it can’t be photocopied. Zack Sharf, Variety, 20 Feb. 2024 Povinelli discovered Gallup’s work as a teenager while photocopying an article in American Scientist magazine for a high school debate. Karen Wright, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019 Gregory photocopied Garner’s letter and showed it to people; the young women who made the accusations against him read the letter and refused to talk to her. Helen Sullivan, The New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2023 To add the animation later, each frame that Schmidt cut was then photocopied as an 8×10 blow-up. Rhett Bartlett, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Aug. 2023 But energetic fans sustained the work, with zines passed around on floppy disks, photocopied and then read online. Emily Hart, New York Times, 10 June 2023 When a fourth seller with an F-150 came through the door, Lorette's team photocopied all the information, recorded the man on video and declined his transaction. Detroit Free Press, 9 June 2023 The Associated Press reported last year that the U.S. Bureau of Prisons had started to photocopy mail at some correctional facilities and was exploring the possibility of using a vendor to scan correspondence and send digital files to kiosks in prisons. Angie Jackson, Detroit Free Press, 23 Oct. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'photocopy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

Noun

1879, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1924, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of photocopy was in 1879

Dictionary Entries Near photocopy

Cite this Entry

“Photocopy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/photocopy. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

photocopy

noun
pho·​to·​copy
ˈfōt-ə-ˌkäp-ē
: a copy of usually printed material made using a process in which an image is formed by the action of light on an electrically charged surface
photocopy verb

More from Merriam-Webster on photocopy

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