INDEX:
copy something
1. to copy something
2. to write down exactly what someone has said or written
3. to copy someone else’s work or ideas
4. something that has been copied from something else
5. a copy of something that is intended to deceive people
do the same as somebody else
6. to do the same as someone else does
7. to copy someone you admire
8. to do the same things as other people in a group
9. someone who other people copy
10. to copy someone or something to make people laugh
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ MAKE FUN OF
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1. to copy something
▷ copy /ˈkɒpiǁˈkɑːpi/ [transitive verb]
to produce something that is exactly the same as something else or that is very similar to it :
▪ Would you go down to the print room and copy these documents for me?
▪ They were arrested for illegally copying video recordings.
▪ Each artist was asked to copy the scene exactly as he or she saw it.
copy something from/into/onto something
▪ The drawings had been copied from photographs.
▪ Copy all the files onto disk.
▷ make a copy /ˌmeɪk ə ˈkɒpiǁ-ˈkɑːpi/ [verb phrase]
to copy something using a machine :
▪ Can you make some extra copies for the staff?
make a copy of
▪ John said he’d make a copy of the will and send it over to the house.
▪ The program does not automatically make backup copies of your files.
▷ photocopy also copy /ˈfəʊtəkɒpiǁ-kɑːpi, ˈkɒpi,ˈkɑːpi/ [transitive verb]
to copy a piece of paper with writing or pictures on it, using a special machine that makes a photograph of the original :
▪ Photocopy the application before sending it.
▪ This form needs to be copied and sent to Paul with the letter.
▷ reproduce /ˌriːprəˈdjuːsǁ-ˈduːs/ [transitive verb usually in passive]
to print a copy of a picture, document etc especially in a book or newspaper :
▪ We’ll need to ask the New Yorker for permission to reproduce the cartoon.
▪ Letters and rare maps are handsomely reproduced in the book.
▷ clone /kləʊn/ [transitive verb]
to make an exact copy of a plant or animal by taking a cell from it and developing it artificially :
▪ The process allowed Scottish scientists to clone the sheep named Dolly.
▪ It is only a matter of time before we are able to clone human beings.
▷ forge /fɔːʳdʒ/ [transitive verb]
to illegally copy something written or printed, such as a bank note or official document, for dishonest purposes :
▪ Marino obtained the drugs by forging his doctor’s signature on a prescription.
▪ He entered the country using a forged passport.
forgery [uncountable noun]
the crime of forging a document :
▪ Spearman is now serving a three-year prison sentence for forgery.
forger [countable noun]
▪ Mason is a convicted forger from Rialto.
▷ back up /ˌbæk ˈʌp/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to copy information from a computer onto a disk, so that it can be used if something goes wrong with the computer :
back up something
▪ Don’t forget to back up all the new files you create.
back something up
▪ I didn’t back the document up and lost the whole lot.
2. to write down exactly what someone has said or written
▷ copy /ˈkɒpiǁˈkɑːpi/ [transitive verb]
to write down exactly what someone else has written :
▪ Can I copy your notes?
copy something from something
▪ She copied the poem from an old book of Grandma’s in the attic.
copy something into/onto something
▪ I need to copy these phone numbers into my address book.
▷ copy out /ˌkɒpi ˈaʊtǁˌkɑː-/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to copy the whole of a piece of writing using exactly the same words as the original :
copy out something
▪ At school we often had to copy out whole chapters from the Bible.
copy something out
▪ As a kid, I used to copy song lyrics out and keep them in notebooks.
▷ copy down /ˌkɒpi ˈdaʊnǁˌkɑː-/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to copy a short piece of written information such as a list or an address :
copy down something
▪ The witness had copied down the license plate number of the taxi the suspect used to get away.
copy something down
▪ Roger copied the train times down on the back of an envelope.
▷ transcribe /trænˈskraɪb/ [transitive verb]
to write an exact copy of a piece of writing or a speech :
▪ I record my business letters, and my secretary transcribes them.
transcribe something into something
transcribe something using special signs or a different alphabet
▪ The conversation had been transcribed into phonetic script.
3. to copy someone else’s work or ideas
▷ copy /ˈkɒpiǁˈkɑːpi/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to copy something that someone else has written or thought of and pretend it is your own work :
▪ Any student caught copying will fail the test.
▪ The company has been accused of copying software ideas from larger competitors.
copy something straight from something
copy it without changing anything
▪ Most of his answers had been copied straight from the student who sat next to him.
▷ plagiarize also plagiarise British /ˈpleɪdʒəraɪz/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to illegally copy words, ideas etc from something written by someone else, and pretend that they are your own :
▪ He got kicked out of school because he plagiarized a term paper.
▪ She claimed that she didn’t plagiarize - she just paraphrased.
plagiarism [uncountable noun]
▪ Donahue’s reputation was damaged when he was accused of plagiarism.
▷ lift /lɪft/ [transitive verb usually in passive] informal
to copy someone else’s words or ideas and pretend that they are your own :
▪ One paragraph of his essay has been lifted from an economics textbook.
be lifted straight from/out of something
use exactly the same words or ideas
▪ The plot of the play had been lifted straight out of an old episode of ‘The Honeymooners’.
▷ steal /stiːl/ [transitive verb]
to take someone else’s ideas and use them without their permission in order to make money from them :
▪ Professional designers and architects steal ideas from each other all the time.
▪ She claims that the director stole ideas from her historical novel and used them in the movie.
▷ derivative /dɪˈrɪvətɪv/ [adjective] formal
not original, but strongly influenced by someone else’s work or partly copied from it :
▪ a derivative artistic style
derivative of
▪ This relatively new style of music is derivative of ragtime and blues.
4. something that has been copied from something else
▷ copy /ˈkɒpiǁˈkɑːpi/ [countable noun]
something that has been copied and made to look exactly like something else :
▪ I don’t have my original birth certificate. Will you accept a copy?
copy of
▪ Connie left copies of the document on everybody’s desk.
▪ a 19th century copy of the popular Rembrandt painting
▷ photocopy also copy /ˈfəʊtəˌkɒpiǁ-ˌkɑːpi, ˈkɒpiǁˈkɑːpi/ [countable noun]
a copy of a piece of paper or a picture that has been made using a machine :
▪ Please send a photocopy of your passport.
make a copy
▪ Can you make seven copies of this, please?
▷ duplicate /ˈdjuːplɪkət, ˈdjuːpləkətǁˈduː-/ [countable noun]
an exact copy of something that can be used in the same way, especially when the original one has been lost :
▪ I only have one house key, but I’ll have a duplicate made for when you visit.
duplicate [adjective only before noun]
▪ It’s a good idea to keep duplicate files on floppy disk.
▷ model /ˈmɒdlǁˈmɑːdl/ [countable noun]
a small copy of a building, vehicle, or machine, made to look exactly like the original building, vehicle etc :
model of
▪ White’s team made a model of the new ballpark to show the public.
model ship/airplane etc
▪ There was a shelf in his bedroom full of model planes.
scale model
a model with the same size and distance relationships as the real thing
▪ The 1957 photo shows him holding a scale model of an ocean liner he built entirely by hand.
▷ replica /ˈreplɪkə/ [countable noun]
a copy of a well-known vehicle, building, or weapon, especially one that is the same size as the original :
▪ a replica fire truck from the 1920s
replica of
▪ A replica of the space shuttle is parked at the center’s entrance.
▪ The building is an exact replica of the original Globe theatre.
▷ reproduction /ˌriːprəˈdʌkʃ ə n◂/ [countable noun]
a copy of an old or valuable work of art or piece of furniture :
▪ The store sells a range of reproduction furniture in Colonial style.
reproduction of
▪ a reproduction of a beautiful Ming vase
▷ imitation /ˌɪmɪˈteɪʃ ə n◂, ˌɪməˈteɪʃ ə n◂/ [adjective only before noun]
imitation jewellery, furniture, fur etc are copies of expensive things that are made of cheaper material so that they look similar but cost much less :
▪ an imitation sheepskin seat cover
▪ The original woodframe house had been covered with imitation brick siding.
imitation [countable noun]
▪ The necklace was a cheap imitation, but she was obviously very proud of it.
▷ facsimile /fækˈsɪmɪli, fækˈsɪməli/ [countable noun]
an exact copy of an old or valuable document or piece of writing, that is done on the same kind of paper or material it was originally written or printed on :
▪ A facsimile of the 1896 book was published in February.
▷ backup copy/backup /ˈbækʌp ˌkɒpiǁ-ˌkɑːpi, ˈbækʌp/ [countable noun]
a copy of computer information that you save on a separate disk, so that if something goes wrong with your computer, you will still have the information :
▪ Make sure to make backup copies of all your data.
▪ Don’t store the backups near the computer, where someone could easily steal them both.
▷ clone /kləʊn/ [countable noun]
an animal or plant that is an exact copy of another one, and is produced by taking a cell from another plant or animal and developing it artificially :
▪ These plants are all clones of the same original plant.
5. a copy of something that is intended to deceive people
▷ forgery /ˈfɔːʳdʒəri/ [countable noun]
an illegal copy of something official such as a bank note, legal documentation or work of art :
▪ Three paintings now thought to be forgeries are included in the show
▪ Further investigation showed that the so-called ‘Hitler Diaries’ were a forgery.
▷ fake /feɪk/ [adjective]
made to look like the product of a particular company or the work of a particular artist in order to trick people in to buying them :
▪ They were selling fake Rolex watches on the street.
▪ His I.D. is obviously fake.
fake [countable noun]
a copy of a valuable object or painting that is intended to deceive people :
▪ Three months after I bought it, a friend who works at the museum told me it was probably a fake.
▷ counterfeit /ˈkaʊntəʳfɪt/ [adjective]
counterfeit money looks exactly like real money but has been produced illegally :
▪ Police have warned stores to look out for counterfeit $50 bills.
counterfeiting [uncountable noun]
the crime of making counterfeit money: :
▪ The new twenty-dollar bills contain features designed to prevent counterfeiting.
counterfeiter [uncountable noun]
▪ Counterfeiters are now able to produce almost perfect notes.
▷ pirate British /pirated especially American /ˈpaɪ ə rət, ˈpaɪ ə rətə̇d/ [adjective only before noun]
pirate copies/videos/CDs
copies of books, records, films etc that have been made illegally and are sold without the permission of the people who originally produced them :
▪ The government has closed a factory that was producing pirate CDs.
▪ It’s pretty easy to get pirated copies of the software.
6. to do the same as someone else does
▷ copy /ˈkɒpiǁˈkɑːpi/ [transitive verb]
to do the same things that someone else does, especially in order to look like them or be like them :
▪ Children learn swearing from copying their parents and siblings.
▪ Martin often claimed he copied Bing Crosby’s singing style, but there was much more to his music than that.
▷ imitate /ˈɪmɪteɪt, ˈɪməteɪt/ [transitive verb]
to copy the way someone behaves, speaks, writes, or moves, especially because you admire them or want to be like them :
▪ ‘Don’t you talk to me like that!’ she said imitating her mother’s high-pitched voice.
▪ A lot of writers have tried to imitate Lawrence’s style.
▷ impersonate /ɪmˈpɜːʳsəneɪt/ [transitive verb]
to pretend to be someone else by copying the way they talk, walk, dress etc, especially in order to make people think you are really the other person :
▪ Harmon is charged with impersonating a police officer.
▪ She makes a living out of impersonating Tina Turner in shows and films.
impersonation /ɪmˌpɜːʳsəˈneɪʃ ə n/ [countable/uncountable noun]
impersonate of
▪ Katy does a great impersonation of Grandpa when he’s annoyed.
▷ ape /eɪp/ [transitive verb]
to imitate someone’s behaviour, in a way that other people think is stupid or silly :
▪ His music attempts to ape classical styles, but the results are not very original.
▪ California wine makers are trying to do new things with Sauvignon blanc instead of just aping French styles.
▷ do what somebody does /duː wɒt somebody ˈdʌz/ [verb phrase] informal
to do the same things as someone else, especially in order to learn from them :
▪ Just watch and do what I do. It’s pretty easy.
▷ follow somebody’s example /ˌfɒləʊ somebodyˈs ɪgˈzɑːmp ə lǁˌfɑːləʊ somebodyˈs ɪgˈzæm-/ [verb phrase]
to copy what someone else has done because you think that their behaviour or actions were a good idea :
▪ Brian persuaded his brothers to follow his example and join the navy.
▪ Following the example of Nixon, a politician he greatly admired, he decided to try to make himself more appealing to voters.
▷ follow in somebody’s footsteps /ˌfɒləʊ ɪn somebodyˈs ˈfʊtsteps ǁ ˌfɑː-/ [verb phrase]
to do something that someone else has done before you, especially someone in a more powerful position than you :
▪ My father was always disappointed that Joey didn’t follow in his footsteps and take over the farm.
▪ We will watch with interest what happens to these two women officers and to the young women who wish to follow in their footsteps.
▷ follow suit/follow somebody’s lead /ˌfɒləʊ ˈsuːt, ˌfɒləʊ somebodyˈs ˈliːdǁˌfɑː-/ [verb phrase]
to do what someone else has just done because it seems the correct thing to do :
▪ We’re hoping that Europe will follow the US’s lead and ban all use of these poisonous gases.
▪ Because the Black community has long experience with civil rights issues, other minority groups may follow its lead.
▪ Other oil companies are expected to follow suit and raise prices before the end of the month.
7. to copy someone you admire
▷ emulate /ˈemjɑleɪt/ [transitive verb] formal
to copy someone else because you admire something that they have done very much :
▪ There is much in Cheng’s work that we can admire and emulate.
▪ Developing countries often try to emulate experiences of developed countries, but this is not always a good idea.
▷ model yourself on /ˈmɒdl jɔːʳself ɒnǁˈmɑːdl-/ [verb phrase]
to copy someone’s behaviour and character as closely as you can because you want to be like them :
▪ The junior Wimbledon champion said that she tried to model herself on Martina Navratilova.
▪ Pender says his show models itself on the old-style talk shows.
8. to do the same things as other people in a group
▷ follow the crowd/go (along) with the crowd /ˌfɒləʊ ðə ˈkraʊdǁˌfɑː-, ˌgəʊ (əlɒŋ) wɪð ðə ˈkraʊd/ [verb phrase]
to do the same as the rest of a group of people because you have not really thought about what you want or because you do not want to disagree with what most people think :
▪ That experience taught me never to follow the crowd blindly.
▪ It’s hard, as an investor, to resist the urge to go along with the crowd, but that isn’t where the money is.
▷ jump on the bandwagon /ˌdʒʌmp ɒn ðə ˈbændwægən/ [verb phrase]
to do the same as a lot of other people are doing because you think there will be some advantage for you or because it is fashionable :
▪ When they realized there was money to be made from games such as snooker, sportswear advertisers soon jumped on the bandwagon.
▪ Opposition leaders have accused the government of jumping on the asylum seeker bandwagon.
9. someone who other people copy
▷ example /ɪgˈzɑːmp ə lǁɪgˈzæm-/ [countable noun usually singular]
an example to
▪ As the eldest in the family, she was expected to be an example to her younger brothers and sisters.
a shining example
someone or something that should be admired and copied
▪ The school is a shining example of what parent-teacher cooperation can achieve.
▷ set an example /ˌset ən ɪgˈzɑːmp ə lǁ-ˈzæm-/ [verb phrase]
if someone sets an example they behave correctly, work hard etc because other people are expected to copy them :
▪ If Saunders is sincere about reform, he should set an example by taking a pay cut.
set a (good) example for somebody
▪ Senior officers should be setting a good example for the men.
▷ role model /ˈrəʊl ˌmɒdlǁ-ˌmɑːdl/ [countable noun]
someone that you try to imitate because they are successful and have good qualities that you would also like to have :
▪ He’s a wonderfully kind man and an excellent role model for the children.
▪ There aren’t enough positive role models for young people today, especially for minority groups.
10. to copy someone or something to make people laugh
▷ imitate /ˈɪmɪteɪt, ˈɪməteɪt/ [transitive verb]
to copy what someone says or does, in order to make people laugh :
▪ She’s really good at imitating our teacher’s Scottish accent.
▷ do an impression/imitation /ˌduː ən ɪmˈpreʃ ə n, ɪmə̇ˈteɪʃ ə n/ [verb phrase]
to copy the way someone famous moves, talks etc, in order to make people laugh :
▪ He made her laugh hysterically during their walks, with his impression of Gene Kelly doing ‘Singin' in the Rain.’
▷ mimic /ˈmɪmɪk/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to unkindly copy the way someone talks or moves in order to make people laugh :
▪ ‘Hmm,’ Phil said. ‘Hmm,’ Graham mimicked.
▪ Yolanda mimicked their father opening the letter.
▷ a take-off of somebody/something also a take-off on somebody/something American informal /ə ˈteɪk ɒf əv somebody/something, ə ˈteɪk ɒf ɒn somebody/something/ [noun phrase]
a copy of the way someone moves or talks, or of the style of a movie, book, etc that is done to make people laugh :
▪ A local television reporter dubbed him StyroCop - a take-off on the movie ‘RoboCop’ .
do a take-off of/on somebody
▪ Karen can do a hilarious take-off of Bette Davis.