xerox
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Meaning
to make a copy of a document, letter, etc. using a photocopier
a copy of a document, etc. made by a photocopier
a machine that makes copies of documents, etc. using a process like photography; a photocopier
Usage
can you xerox this report for the meeting?
i made a xerox of the contract for my records.
the office just got a new, faster xerox machine.
Etymology
The word "xerox" entered the English language as a generic trademark, a process where a brand name becomes the common term for a product or service. It originates from "xerography," the name of the dry photocopying process invented by chester carlson. "xerography" is a Modern Greek-derived compound from "xēros" (meaning "dry") and "-graphia" (meaning "writing"), literally describing "dry writing." As the xerox corporation's machines became ubiquitous, the brand name was verbed and nouned in common parlance, leading to its current meanings related to photocopying. This exemplifies a common linguistic phenomenon where a successful proprietary name loses its trademark status through widespread generic use.
Analysis
This is a simplex word. It is a proprietary eponym derived from the trademark "xerox," the name of the company that pioneered and popularized the technology. The company name itself originates from "xerography," a term coined from Greek roots: "xeros" (dry) and "graphia" (writing).