verb

replicate

REP-lih-kayt/ˈreplɪkeɪt/

To make a copy of something or do it again.

The photocopier replicates the geometric picture, producing a matching copy.

A compact photocopier produces an exact duplicate of a distinctive geometric picture, with the original visible on the scanner glass and the matching copy emerging into the output tray.

Etymology

The pieces originally meant “fold back,” and the ancestral verb also meant “repeat.” The exact-copy sense arose from replication, which had already developed the meaning “copy” or “reproduction.”

In context

James Hoffmann6:16

a simple sugar or a sweetener designed to replicate the sweetness of a simple sugar

A Beginners Guide to Coffee Tasting

More examples

She replicated the tile pattern on the opposite wall.
We hope to replicate last year's success.
The software replicates the files on a second server.

Forms

replicate · replicates · replicated · replicating

replication noun — The act of copying or repeating something.

replica noun — A copy of an original object.

Similar words

copy: Emphasizes making a duplicate rather than doing something again.
repeat: Emphasizes doing something again rather than making a duplicate.
reproduce: Often emphasizes recreating an original's appearance, sound, or results.