Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An imitation or reproduction of an original; a duplicate.
  • noun Computers A file that has the same data as another file.
  • noun One example of a printed text, picture, film, or recording.
  • noun Material, such as a manuscript, that is to be set in type.
  • noun The words to be printed or spoken in an advertisement.
  • noun Suitable source material for journalism.
  • intransitive verb To make a reproduction or copy of.
  • intransitive verb To follow as a model or pattern; imitate. synonym: imitate.
  • intransitive verb To include as an additional recipient of a written communication.
  • intransitive verb To make a copy or copies.
  • intransitive verb To admit of being copied.
  • intransitive verb To hear clearly or understand something said by radio communication.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To imitate; follow as a model or pattern.
  • To make a copy of; duplicate; reproduce; transcribe: sometimes followed by out, especially when applied to writing: as, to copy out a set of figures.
  • To imitate, or endeavor to be like, something regarded as a model; do something in imitation of an exemplar: sometimes followed by after: as. to copy after bad precedents.
  • noun Abundance; plenty; copiousness.
  • noun A duplication, transcription, imitation, or reproduction of something; that which is not an original.
  • noun Specifically A completed reproduction, or one of a set or number of reproductions or imitations, containing the same matter, or having the same form and appearance, or executed in the same style, as an exemplar; a duplicate; a transcript: as, a copy of the Bible.
  • noun The thing copied or to be copied; something set for imitation or reproduction; a pattern, exemplar, or model; specifically, an example of penmanship to be copied by a pupil.
  • noun In printing, written or printed matter given to the printer to be reproduced in type.
  • noun Right to the use of literary manuscript; copyright.
  • noun A copyhold tenure; tenure in general.
  • noun A size of writing-paper measuring 16 X 20 inches.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb To make a copy or copies; to imitate.
  • intransitive verb To yield a duplicate or transcript.
  • transitive verb To make a copy or copies of; to write; print, engrave, or paint after an original; to duplicate; to reproduce; to transcribe; ; -- often with out, sometimes with off.
  • transitive verb To imitate; to attempt to resemble, as in manners or course of life.
  • noun obsolete An abundance or plenty of anything.
  • noun An imitation, transcript, or reproduction of an original work.
  • noun An individual book, or a single set of books containing the works of an author.
  • noun That which is to be imitated, transcribed, or reproduced; a pattern, model, or example.
  • noun (print.) Manuscript or printed matter to be set up in type.
  • noun A writing paper of a particular size. Same as Bastard. See under Paper.
  • noun obsolete Copyhold; tenure; lease.
  • noun a book in which copies are written or printed for learners to imitate.
  • noun (Law) those which have been compared with the originals.
  • noun those which are attested under seal of a court.
  • noun those which are made or attested by officers having charge of the originals, and authorized to give copies officially.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The result of copying (confer original); an identical duplication.
  • noun An imitation, sometimes of inferior quality.
  • noun journalism The text that is to be typeset.
  • noun journalism A gender-neutral abbreviation for copy boy
  • noun marketing The output of copywriters, who are employed to write material which encourages consumers to buy goods or services.
  • noun uncountable The text of newspaper articles.
  • noun A school work pad.
  • noun A printed edition of a book or magazine.
  • verb transitive To produce an object identical to a given object.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English copie, from Old French, from Medieval Latin cōpia, transcript, from Latin, profusion; see op- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From French copie, from Medieval Latin copia ("reproduction, transcript"), from Latin cōpia ("plenty, abundance"), from *coopia, from co- ("together") + ops ("wealth, riches").

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Examples

  • Kipling, just released from his long confinement, like a boy out of school, was the life of the party—and when, one day, he found a woman aboard reading a copy of The Ladies’ Home Journal his joy knew no bounds; he turned in the most inimitable “copy” to the Tonic, describing the woman’s feelings as she read the different departments in the magazine.

    Going Home with Kipling, and as a Lecturer 1921

  • Book-fanciers now and then bid a few shillings, for a copy of the catalogue of his library; and some sly free-thinkers, of modern date, are not backward in shewing a sympathy in their predecessor's fame, by the readiness with which they bid a half-guinea, or more, for a _priced copy_ of it.

    Bibliomania; or Book-Madness A Bibliographical Romance Thomas Frognall Dibdin 1811

  • The gofpel of John» of which Kerinthus had given me a copy interpolated by him to a conformity with his notions» and the expofition which» being ignorant myfelf of »ay other copy» I delivered to the brethren % 60 HISTORY OW i brethren in their aflfemblies, on the mjrf - teries contained therein, had an extra - ordinary efFedt; my authority and influ«

    Private history of Peregrinus Proteus, the philosopher Wieland, Christoph Martin, 1733-1813 1796

  • Make a copy; 2) Move developers to $copy 3) Exatnd

    Boycott Novell - Recent changes [en] 2008

  • ***If interested, please email me a word copy of your resume, and I'll call you within 24 hours regarding more information on the opportunity***

    News - chicagotribune.com 2011

  • If you feel you meet the qualifications please send a word copy of your resume to

    News - chicagotribune.com 2011

  • If you feel you have the right qualifications, please email me a Word copy of your resume directly to

    News - chicagotribune.com 2011

  • If you feel you have the right qualifications, please email me a Word copy of your resume directly to

    News - chicagotribune.com 2011

  • If you feel you have the right qualifications, please email me a Word copy of your resume directly to

    News - chicagotribune.com 2011

  • If you feel you have the right qualifications, please email me a Word copy of your resume directly to

    News - chicagotribune.com 2011

Comments

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  • Don't copy that floppy!

    -D.P. (M.E. Hart)

    March 12, 2007