photocopy

1 of 2

noun

pho·​to·​copy ˈfō-tə-ˌkä-pē 

: 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

Nebraska now requires a state ID number or photocopy of one's ID as part of a request for an absentee ballot. —Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 1 Aug. 2024

Which makes sense for a photocopy of an actual human being. —Edan Lepucki, The Atlantic, 12 July 2024

Verb

Essentially, 1990's algorithms used in photocopying and scanning compression are still lurking in modern communication software, with all of the flaws and baggage that come with them. —Lily Hay Newman, WIRED, 15 Dec. 2021

All physical mail is photocopied using a proprietary process to replicate content from its original format to a PDF document, ensuring an almost perfect level of accuracy when being transmitted from one medium to another. —Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 21 Sep. 2024

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

Phrases Containing photocopy

• photocopy machine

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