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

These are from the 1960s before Xerox photocopies became available in Japan. —IEEE Spectrum, 12 June 2012

Upon conducting an inspection of the boat, deputies found a photocopy of Victor Lopez’ Cuban passport and an immigration document, U.S. currency inside a fanny pack and large amounts of bottled water, the last of which the complaint noted as typically associated with people smuggling. —Silas Morgan, Orlando Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2025

Verb

This was long before the days where scientific publications were available online, and so the only way for scientists to peruse the latest research was to photocopy it from journals. —David Cox, WIRED, 2 Dec. 2020

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

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

Rhymes for photocopy

• atopy
• choppy
• copy
• floppy
• poppy
• sloppy

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