Facsimile

WORD OF THE DAY

facsimile / noun / fak-SIM-uh-lee

Definition
1: an exact copy
2: a system of transmitting and reproducing graphic matter (such as printing or still pictures) by means of signals sent over telephone lines

Examples
“Walls are now decorated with posters and murals of facsimiles of old newspapers that tell the tales of the team's big moments.”
— Carlos Monarrez, The Detroit Free Press, 29 July 2022

The space has a sparse, futuristic feel; there’s a 3D print facsimile of a boulder from the Alps that is supposed to symbolize the synthesis of technological innovation, appreciation for the natural world, and Swiss charisma.
— Martin Fritz Huber, Outside Online, 6 Oct. 2021

Did You Know?
The facsimile machine (or fax machine) has long been an office staple, but its name is much, much older. Fac simile is a Latin phrase meaning “make alike.”
English speakers began using facsimile to mean “an exact copy” in the late 1600s. In this sense, a facsimile might be a handwritten or hand-drawn copy, or even a copy of a painting or statue. (Today, we also use the phrase “a reasonable facsimile” for a copy that is fairly close but not exact.)
In the 1800s, people developed facsimile technology that could reproduce printed material via telegraph. Now, of course, we use telephone lines or wireless technology, and we usually call the resulting facsimile a fax.