Library / English Dictionary

COPY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected form: copied   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A thing made to be similar or identical to another thing

Example:

the clone was a copy of its ancestor

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("copy" is a kind of...):

representation (a creation that is a visual or tangible rendering of someone or something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "copy"):

xerox; xerox copy (a copy made by a xerographic copier)

triplicate (one of three copies; any of three things that correspond to one another exactly)

replica; replication; reproduction (copy that is not the original; something that has been copied)

quadruplicate (any four copies; any of four things that correspond to one another exactly)

print (a copy of a movie on film (especially a particular version of it))

photocopy (a photographic copy of written or printed or graphic work)

modification (slightly modified copy; not an exact copy)

miniature; toy (a copy that reproduces a person or thing in greatly reduced size)

clone; knockoff (an unauthorized copy or imitation)

imitation (something copied or derived from an original)

autotype; facsimile (an exact copy or reproduction)

duplicate; duplication (a copy that corresponds to an original exactly)

cast; casting (object formed by a mold)

carbon; carbon copy (a copy made with carbon paper)

anamorphism; anamorphosis (a distorted projection or perspective; especially an image distorted in such a way that it becomes visible only when viewed in a special manner)

Derivation:

copy (make a replica of)

copy (reproduce someone's behavior or looks)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Matter to be printed; exclusive of graphical materials

Synonyms:

copy; written matter

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("copy" is a kind of...):

text; textual matter (the words of something written)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "copy"):

dump ((computer science) a copy of the contents of a computer storage device; sometimes used in debugging programs)

fair copy (a clean copy of a corrected draft)

filler (copy to fill space between more important articles in the layout of a magazine or newspaper)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A reproduction of a written record (e.g. of a legal or school record)

Synonyms:

copy; transcript

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("copy" is a kind of...):

written account; written record (a written document preserving knowledge of facts or events)

Domain category:

jurisprudence; law (the collection of rules imposed by authority)

Derivation:

copy (copy down as is)

copyist (someone employed to make written copies of documents and manuscripts)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Material suitable for a journalistic account

Example:

catastrophes make good copy

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("copy" is a kind of...):

material (information (data or ideas or observations) that can be used or reworked into a finished form)

Holonyms ("copy" is a substance of...):

journalism; news media (newspapers and magazines collectively)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make a replica of

Example:

re-create a picture by Rembrandt

Synonyms:

copy; re-create

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "copy" is one way to...):

create; make (make or cause to be or to become)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "copy"):

manifold (make multiple copies of)

imitate (make a reproduction or copy of)

trace (copy by following the lines of the original drawing on a transparent sheet placed upon it; make a tracing of)

back up (make a copy of (a computer file) especially for storage in another place as a security copy)

hectograph (copy on a duplicator)

clone (make multiple identical copies of)

mimeo; mimeograph (print copies from (a prepared stencil) using a mimeograph)

roneo (make copies on a Roneograph)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

copier (apparatus that makes copies of typed, written or drawn material)

copy (a thing made to be similar or identical to another thing)

copying (an act of copying)

copyist (someone employed to make written copies of documents and manuscripts)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Reproduce or make an exact copy of

Example:

copy the genetic information

Synonyms:

copy; replicate

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "copy" is one way to...):

double; duplicate; reduplicate; repeat; replicate (make or do or perform again)

Domain category:

biological science; biology (the science that studies living organisms)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Reproduce someone's behavior or looks

Example:

Children often copy their parents or older siblings

Synonyms:

copy; imitate; simulate

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "copy" is one way to...):

reproduce (make a copy or equivalent of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "copy"):

emulate (strive to equal or match, especially by imitating)

follow; take after (imitate in behavior; take as a model)

model; pattern (plan or create according to a model or models)

mime; mimic (imitate (a person or manner), especially for satirical effect)

take off (mimic or imitate in an amusing or satirical manner)

mock (imitate with mockery and derision)

conform to; follow (behave in accordance or in agreement with)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

copy (a thing made to be similar or identical to another thing)

copying (an act of copying)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Copy down as is

Example:

The students were made to copy the alphabet over and over

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "copy" is one way to...):

write (mark or trace on a surface)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "copy"):

recopy (copy again)

copy out (copy very carefully and as accurately as possible)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

copy (a reproduction of a written record (e.g. of a legal or school record))

copying (an act of copying)

copyist (someone employed to make written copies of documents and manuscripts)

Credits

 Context examples: 

To restore immune function to those with X-SCID, scientists developed an experimental gene therapy that involves inserting a normal copy of the IL2RG gene into the patient’s own blood-forming stem cells.

(Gene therapy restores immunity in infants with rare immunodeficiency disease, National Institutes of Health)

As cells divide and multiply, they make copies of their DNA, so any spelling mistakes will be reproduced.

(‘Fingerprint database’ could help scientists to identify new cancer culprits, University of Cambridge)

Previous research suggests that when we prepare to speak out loud, our brain creates a copy of the instructions that are sent to our lips, mouth and vocal cords.

(Talking to Ourselves And Voices in Our Heads, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

The strain is viremic from birth in that all tissues express the AKV retrovirus and copies of the AKV genome are integrated in the mouse genome, which is associated with leukemia development.

(AKR/J Mouse, NCI Thesaurus)

Aptivus blocks the HIV virus from making copies of itself.

(Aptivus, NCI Dictionary)

Pluto is unlikely to be a copy of Triton, but some of the same types of features may be present.

(Voyager Map Details Neptune's Strange Moon Triton, NASA)

People with two copies of these particular variants (1 in over 1,000 people) were on average 2.5 kg lighter than people without the variants and had a 50% lower risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

(Discovery of genetic variants that protect against obesity and type 2 diabetes could lead to new weight loss medicines, University of Cambridge)

In their findings, the researchers found that human brains that possess even one copy of apoE4 are over twice as likely to eventually develop Alzheimer's disease within their lifetime.

(Alzheimer's Disease Gene Successfully Removed From Human Brain, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

There are typically about 1000 copies of mitochondrial DNA per cell, and the percentage of these that are damaged, or mutated, will determine whether a person will suffer from mitochondrial disease or not.

(Mitochondrial diseases could be treated with gene therapy, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Each affected person had one mutant and one normal copy of the gene, while the unaffected family members had two normal copies of the gene.

(Researchers discover new autoinflammatory disease and uncover its biological cause, National Institutes of Health)