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

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

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

Steve, I think it’s more like we both had this rich neighbor named Xerox and I broke into his house to steal the TV set and found out that you had already stolen it.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

McDermott applied that philosophy while serving in a sales role at Xerox, where he brought in more business than many of his peers.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 18, 2026

But when Brian Segnit, a retired marketing manager for Xerox, uploaded the test into ChatGPT as an experiment, the chatbot failed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 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