copy

1 of 5

noun (1)

ˈkä-pē 

plural copies

1

: an imitation, transcript, or reproduction of an original work (such 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 sense 1a

a copy of a computer file

a copy of a gene

copy

2 of 5

verb (1)

copied; copying; copies

transitive verb

1

: to make a copy or duplicate of

copy a document

Please copy and paste the link into your browser.

For players who are holdovers from last year's ballot, I just copied and pasted what I wrote a year ago.

—Dave Cameron

2

: to model oneself on

3

in radio/military communications : to acknowledge receipt of (a message)

The operator of the Titanic was busy figuring his accounts and did not bother to copy the message. A little later in the afternoon, another ship named the Baltic called the Titanic to tell her about icebergs that were in her way.

—Rev. Robert P. Lawrence

intransitive verb

1

: to make a copy

2

: to undergo copying

the map did not copy well

3

in radio/military communications : to acknowledge receipt and understanding of a message

"Block the road with your car. Take no other action. … No resistance, do you copy? Over."

—Stephen King

paste

3 of 5

noun (2)

ˈpāst 

1

a

: a dough that contains a considerable proportion of fat and is used for pastry crust or fancy rolls

b

: a confection made by evaporating fruit with sugar or by flavoring a gelatin, starch, or gum arabic preparation

c

: a smooth food product made by evaporation or grinding

tomato paste

almond paste

d

: a shaped dough (such as spaghetti or ravioli) prepared from semolina, farina, or wheat flour

2

: a soft plastic mixture or composition: such as

a

: a preparation usually of flour or starch and water used as an adhesive or a vehicle for mordant or color

b

: clay or a clay mixture used in making pottery or porcelain

3

: a brilliant glass of high lead content used for the manufacture of artificial gems

paste

4 of 5

verb (2)

pasted; pasting; pastes

transitive verb

1

: to cause to adhere by or as if by paste : stick

pasted the photos into the scrapbook

2

: to cover with something pasted on

The entire wall was pasted with posters.

3

: to put (digital data, such as text or an image) that has been copied or cut from one document or app into another part of the document or into another document or app

paste the image into an email or text

Don't copy and paste recipes out of an existing … blog or website. If you've adjusted an existing recipe, making it your own with significant modifications, be sure to give credit to the source of the original recipe.

—The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Washington)

paste

5 of 5

verb (3)

pasted; pasting; pastes

transitive verb

1

: to strike hard at

2

: to beat or defeat soundly

pasted their opponents 42–0

Did you know?

We're not talking about adhesives here: the paste of interest here came to be as an alteration of the word baste, which means "to beat severely or soundly." (This baste is unrelated to the two distinct baste homographs that mean "to sew with long stitches" and "to moisten while cooking.") The exact origin of baste is uncertain, but it probably comes from the Old Norse word beysta, meaning "to bruise, thrash, or flog." Baste was first seen in the 16th century, but paste didn't turn up in print until the mid-19th century, and it only recently acquired its "defeat" sense. Baste is now less popular than paste, though its relative lambaste ("to beat" or "to censure") is prevalent.

Synonyms of copy

Noun (1)

• reproduction
• replica

Verb (1)

• reproduce
• replicate
• render
• duplicate
• imitate

Verb (3)

• whip
• skin
• bury
• bomb
• throw
• cream
• flatten
• trim
• overcome
• wax
• dust
• blow away
• smoke
• smother
• master
• beat
• rout
• top
• upset
• shellac
• take
• annihilate

Choose the Right Synonym for copy

Noun (1)

reproduction, duplicate, copy, facsimile, replica mean a thing made to closely resemble another.

reproduction implies an exact or close imitation of an existing thing.

reproductions from the museum's furniture collection

duplicate implies a double or counterpart exactly corresponding to another thing.

a duplicate of a house key

copy applies especially to one of a number of things reproduced mechanically.

printed 1000 copies of the lithograph

facsimile suggests a close reproduction often of graphic matter that may differ in scale.

a facsimile of a rare book

replica implies the exact reproduction of a particular item in all details

a replica of the Mayflower

but not always in the same scale.

miniature replicas of classic cars

Verb (1)

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, unoriginal, 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

Examples of copy in a Sentence

Noun (1)

The novel has sold more than a million copies.

She got a job writing advertising copy.

All copy must be submitted by 5 p.m.

Verb (1)

She copied the design on a piece of paper.

Copy the file to your hard drive.

The bills are designed to prevent copying by counterfeiters.

We caught him copying the answers out of the book.

We caught him copying out of the book.

The speech was copied word for word.

His music was copied widely.

Their competitors soon copied the idea.

Noun (2)

Stir the flour and water to a paste.

The children used paste and construction paper to make Mother's Day cards.

a cake with an almond paste filling

Stir the ingredients to form a paste.

Verb (3)

with the economy having gone south, it was hardly surprising that the incumbent party got pasted in the general election

pasted the soccer ball halfway across the field

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

At the end of the evening all guests received a copy of the stunning new book Santo Domingo, published by the prestigious Assouline publishing house, which pays homage to the country’s vibrant capital city, its rich history, and its exhilarating future. —Condé Nast Traveler, 11 June 2026

Officers were dispatched to the Olive Garden in Newington, New Hampshire, on Sunday after a woman was reported as being held hostage by a man with a gun, a copy of the arrest affidavit says. —Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 11 June 2026

Verb

The technology copies tone, speech patterns, and accents closely enough that many people can't tell the difference between a real voice and a fake one. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2026

Rather, the independent events copy each other’s formats and operate as a grassroots ecosystem that supports local music. —John Wenzel, Denver Post, 9 June 2026

Noun

For routine care, use warm, soapy water on tiles and baking soda paste on grout to lift grime gently. —Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 10 June 2026

Many family recipes call for other flavorings like onions, Worcestershire, tomato paste, and vinegar. —Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 10 June 2026

Verb

With buckets of glue in hand, families and friends have taken to pasting images of the victims across the city to make sure they’re not forgotten. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 June 2026

New York beat San Antonio in the NBA Cup final in December, narrowly lost at San Antonio 134-132 on New Year’s Eve, and then pasted the Spurs 114-89 in early March — San Antonio’s worst loss of the season. —John Hollinger, New York Times, 2 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English copie, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin copia, from Latin, abundance — more at copious

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin pasta dough, paste

Verb (3)

alteration of baste

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (2)

circa 1562, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (3)

1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing copy

• blind carbon copy
• carbon copy
• Chinese copy
• copy and paste
• copy down/out
• copy edit
• copy editor
• copy machine
• fair copy
• good copy
• hard copy
• review copy

Rhymes for copy

• choppy
• floppy
• poppy
• sloppy
• atopy
• photocopy

Kids Definition

copy

1 of 2 noun

ˈkäp-ē 

plural copies

1

: something that is made to look exactly like something else : duplicate

a copy of a letter

a copy of a painting

2

: one of the total number of books, magazines, or papers printed at one time

3

: written or printed material to be set in type

copy

2 of 2 verb

copied; copying

1

: to make a copy : duplicate

2

: imitate sense 1