(copies, ~ing, copied)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
If you make a ~ of something, you produce something that looks like the original thing.
The reporter apparently obtained a ~ of Steve’s resignation letter...
= duplicate
N-COUNT: usu N of n
2.
If you ~ something, you produce something that looks like the original thing.
She never participated in obtaining or ~ing any classified documents for anyone.
...top designers, whose work has been widely copied...
He copied the chart from a book.
VERB: V n, V n, V n from n
3.
If you ~ a piece of writing, you write it again exactly.
He would allow John slyly to ~ his answers to impossibly difficult algebra questions...
He copied the data into a notebook...
We’re ~ing from textbooks because we don’t have enough to go round.
VERB: V n, V n into n, V from n
•
Copy out means the same as ~ .
He wrote the title on the blackboard, then copied out the text sentence by sentence...
‘Did he leave a phone number?’—‘Oh, yes.’ She copied it out for him.
PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron), V n P
4.
If you ~ a person or what they do, you try to do what they do or try to be like them, usually because you admire them or what they have done.
Children can be seen to ~ the behaviour of others whom they admire or identify with...
...the coquettish gestures she had copied from actresses in soap operas.
= imitate
VERB: V n, V n from n
~ing
Children learn by ~ing.
N-UNCOUNT
5.
A ~ of a book, newspaper, or CD is one of many that are exactly the same.
I bought a ~ of ‘USA Today’ from a street-corner machine...
You can obtain a ~ for $2 from New York Central Art Supply.
N-COUNT: oft N of n
6.
In journalism, ~ is written material that is ready to be printed or read in a broadcast. (TECHNICAL)
...his ability to write the most lyrical ~ in the history of sports television.
...advertising ~.
N-UNCOUNT
7.
In journalism, ~ is news or information that can be used in an article in a newspaper. (TECHNICAL)
...journalists looking for good ~.
N-UNCOUNT
8.
see also back ~ , carbon ~ , hard ~