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

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

Focused on its massively lucrative copier franchise, Xerox hadn’t internalized the process of technology transfer for profit.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026

Tesler, who had all but given up on persuading Xerox to commercialize PARC’s output, saw no reason not to show Apple everything they had.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026

It was a Xerox of a page of the Hampden Examiner.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

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