Xerox
Americannoun
verb (used with or without object)
noun
verb
Explanation
When you use a copy machine, you make a xerox. Some college classes require you to buy expensive textbooks, while others provide you with binders full of xeroxes. The word xerox is trademarked, kind of like Frisbee or Kleenex. The word was coined in the 1950s, from xerography, "printing without the use of liquid chemicals," which has a Greek root, xeros, "dry," and an ending borrowed from photography. You can use xerox as a noun or a verb: "You should xerox your ID and keep a copy of it on file in case you lose your wallet."
Vocabulary lists containing xerox
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One of the attractions of the merger, he said later, was that the other firm had a receptionist and a Xerox machine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Xerox upped the pressure on HP for months until the pandemic prompted it to abandon the pursuit, citing economic and health impacts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
The Jobs demo was a centerpiece of my 1999 book about Xerox PARC, “Dealers of Lightning.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026
That produced an angry call from Jobs to his contacts at Xerox headquarters, resulting in an order to let the Apple group back in.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026
Nelson Bookman leaned back in his chair, straightened out the Xerox copies a different secretary dropped on his desk, and suddenly grinned.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
