Xerox

American  

[zeer-oks] / ˈzɪər ɒks /

Trademark.

1. a brand name for a copying machine for reproducing printed, written, or pictorial matter by xerography.

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noun

1. (sometimes lowercase) a copy made on a xerographic copying machine.

verb (used with or without object)

1. (sometimes lowercase) to print or reproduce by xerography.

Xerox British  

/ ˈzɪərɒks /

noun

1. 1. a xerographic copying process

   2. a machine employing this process

   3. a copy produced by this process

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verb

1. to produce a copy of (a document, illustration, etc) by this process

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Xerox

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

“We view the current environment as an opportunity,” TPG Chief Executive Jon Winkelried said on the firm’s quarterly earnings call, citing deals such as a $450 million debt transaction with Xerox.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026

The story began in April 1979, when Jobs offered Xerox a deal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026

The Jobs demo was a centerpiece of my 1999 book about Xerox PARC, “Dealers of Lightning.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026

She had a Xerox machine they could use after business hours.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

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