Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

photostat

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.71 in modern English

Syllables
pho-to-stat
IPA
14
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A (non-xerographic) photocopy made using a Photostat machine; (loosely) any photocopy, even a xerographic one.

Dated

noun

The machine (essentially, a special camera) on which such a copy is made.

verb

To make such a photocopy.

Example Sentences

Etymology

A genericization from the trade name of one of the earliest commercially successful types of photocopier, a pre-xerography type. Xerography displaced it in the 1960s and 1970s; since then the relics of it are historical curiosities. More in Wikipedia at Photostat machine.

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Questions

What does photostat mean?
A (non-xerographic) photocopy made using a Photostat machine; (loosely) any photocopy, even a xerographic one.
Where does photostat come from?
A genericization from the trade name of one of the earliest commercially successful types of photocopier, a pre-xerography type. Xerography displaced it in the 1960s and 1970s; since then the relics of it are historical curiosities. More in Wikipedia at Photostat machine.

How to pronounce photostat

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “photostat”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “photostat”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “photostat” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.