facsimile

/fækˈsɪməli/

/fækˈsɪməli/

Other forms: facsimiles; facsimiled

A facsimile is a copy or reproduction of something. Many parents hope their children will be facsimiles of themselves; many children have other plans in mind.

Facsimile comes from two Latin roots: facere, meaning "to make," and simile, meaning "like." Fax machines are so called because they copy and transmit facsimiles of documents, or faxes for short, over phone lines. Grammatically speaking, photocopiers also make facsimiles, but oddly enough those are referred to as copies — not faxes.

Definitions of facsimile

1. noun

   an exact copy or reproduction
   synonyms: autotype

   type of:

   copy

   a thing made to be similar or identical to another thing
2. noun

   duplicator that transmits the copy by wire or radio
   synonyms: facsimile machine, fax

   type of:

   copier, duplicator

   apparatus that makes copies of typed, written or drawn material
3. verb

   send something via a facsimile machine
   synonyms: fax, telefax

   type of:

   telecommunicate

   communicate over long distances, as via the telephone or e-mail