/ ˈreplɪkeɪt; NAmE / verb
1.
[ vn ] ( formal ) to copy sth exactly
SYN duplicate :
Subsequent experiments failed to replicate these findings.
2.
replicate (itself) ( technical ) ( of a virus or a molecule ) to produce exact copies of itself :
[ vn ]
The drug prevents the virus from replicating itself.
[also v ]
► rep·li·ca·tion / ˌreplɪˈkeɪʃn; NAmE / noun [ U , C ]
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (in the sense repeat ): from Latin replicat- , from the verb replicare , from re- back, again + plicare to fold. The current senses date from the late 19th cent.