I. ˈkä-pē noun
( plural cop·ies )
Etymology: Middle English copie, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin copia, from Latin, abundance — more at copious
Date: 14th century
1. : an imitation, transcript, or reproduction of an original work (as a letter, a painting, a table, or a dress)
2. : one of a series of especially mechanical reproductions of an original impression ; also : an individual example of such a reproduction
3. archaic : something to be imitated : model
4.
a. : matter to be set especially for printing
b. : something considered printable or newsworthy — used without an article
remarks that make good copy — Norman Cousins
c. : text especially of an advertisement
5. : duplicate 1a
a copy of a computer file
a copy of a gene
Synonyms: see reproduction
II. verb
( cop·ied ; copy·ing )
Date: 14th century
transitive verb
1. : to make a copy or duplicate of
copy a document
copy a computer file
2. : to model oneself on
intransitive verb
1. : to make a copy
2. : to undergo copying
the document did not copy well
Synonyms:
copy , imitate , mimic , ape , mock mean to make something so that it resembles an existing thing. copy suggests duplicating an original as nearly as possible
copied the painting and sold the fake as an original
imitate suggests following a model or a pattern but may allow for some variation
imitate a poet's style
mimic implies a close copying (as of voice or mannerism) often for fun, ridicule, or lifelike imitation
pupils mimicking their teacher
ape may suggest presumptuous, slavish, or inept imitating of a superior original
American fashion designers aped their European colleagues
mock usually implies imitation with derision
mocking a vain man's pompous manner