Duplicates

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. More than one identical version of an item or text ; to make an exact copy or reproduce something without changes
2. Having several indistinguishable units or instances ; the act of creating a precise replica or repetition
3. Multiple instances of the same object or data ; to duplicate means to replicate exactly, producing an identical copy

Etymology: "Duplicates" is the third-person singular form of the verb "duplicate," so its history is that of the verb. The verb comes from Latin "duplicatus," the past participle of "duplicare," meaning "to double" or "to fold in two." Its root is "duplex," meaning "twofold," built from "duo" (two) and a element related to "plicare," "to fold." The original sense was therefore literal: making something twice as much by folding or doubling it. Over time the idea shifted from folding to copying. Once you have doubled something, you have a second version of it, and that second version is what the word came to name. The noun sense, a second copy or an identical item, grew out of the verb's meaning of making a twin of something, so the modern "duplicate" of a key or a form is essentially the original act of doubling, now applied to objects rather than folds.

Synonyms: copies, reproductions, replicas, imitations, clones

Antonyms: originals, uniques, singulars, novelties, first editions