English
copy
Etymology

From Middle English copy, copie, from Old French copie, from Medieval Latin copia, from Latin cōpia, from *coopia, from co- ("together") + ops ("wealth, riches").

Pronunciation
  • (RP) IPA: /ˈkɒpi/
  • (America) IPA: /ˈkɑpi/
Noun

copy (plural copies)

  1. The result of copying; an identical duplicate of an original.
    Please bring me the copies of those reports.
    • 1656, John Denham, preface to The Destruction of Troy:
      I have not the vanity to think my copy equal to the original.
  2. An imitation, sometimes of inferior quality.
    That handbag is a copy. You can tell because the buckle is different.
  3. (journalism) The text that is to be typeset.
  4. (journalism) A gender-neutral abbreviation for copy boy.
  5. (marketing, advertising) The output of copywriters, who are employed to write material which encourages consumers to buy goods or services.
  6. (uncountable) The text of newspaper articles.
    Submit all copy to the appropriate editor.
  7. A school work pad.
    Tim got in trouble for forgetting his maths copy.
  8. A printed edition of a book or magazine.
    Have you seen the latest copy of "Newsweek" yet?
    The library has several copies of the Bible.
  9. Writing paper of a particular size, called also bastard.
  10. (obsolete) That which is to be imitated, transcribed, or reproduced; a pattern, model, or example.
    His virtues are an excellent copy for imitation.
    • 1669, William Holder, Elements of Speech: An Essay of Inquiry into the Natural Production of Letters: […], London: […] T. N[ewcomb] for J[ohn] Martyn printer to the R[oyal] Society, […], →OCLC ↗:
      Let him first learn to write, after a copy of all the letters.
  11. (obsolete) An abundance or plenty of anything.
    • 1599 (first performance), B. I. [i.e., Ben Jonson], The Comicall Satyre of Euery Man out of His Humor. […], London: […] [Adam Islip] for William Holme, […], published 1600, →OCLC ↗, Act II, scene i, signature F, verso ↗:
      [S]he was bleſt with no more Copie of wit, but to ſerue his Humor thus.
  12. (obsolete) copyhold; tenure; lease
    • c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act III, scene ii]:
      But in them nature's copy's not eterne
  13. (genetics) The result of gene or chromosomal duplication.
Synonyms Antonyms Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Verb

copy (copies, present participle copying; simple past and past participle copied)

  1. (transitive) To produce an object identical to a given object.
    Please copy these reports for me.
    Don't copy that floppy!
  2. (transitive) To give or transmit a copy to (a person).
    Make sure you copy me on that important memo.
  3. (transitive, computing) To place a copy of an object in memory for later use.
    First copy the files, and then paste them in another directory.
  4. (transitive) To imitate.
    Don't copy my dance moves.
    Mom, he's copying me!
    • 1793, Dugald Stewart, Outlines of Moral Philosophy:
      We copy instinctively the voices of our companions, their accents, and their modes of pronunciation.
  5. (radio) To receive a transmission successfully.
    Do you copy?
Synonyms Translations Translations Translations Translations

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