duplicate
/ˈdjuːplɪkeɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈduːplɪkeɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈdü-pli-kət also ˈdyü-/ (ame, mw) · /ˈdʒuː.plɪ.kət/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈduː.plə.kət/ (ame, ipa)
duplicate — verb
- duplicatepresent simple I / you / we / they
- duplicateshe / she / it
- duplicatedpast simple
- duplicating-ing form
1. to produce a second item that is exactly the same as the original, such as a doc
to produce a second item that is exactly the same as the original, such as a document, a key, a digital file, or a piece of art.
Élise used the office scanner to duplicate the contract before mailing it.
duplicate + direct object (document)
The museum allowed researchers to duplicate old photographs from the archive.
duplicate + from [source]
Christopher duplicated the apartment key at the hardware store on Prince Street.
The technician duplicated the entire project folder onto a backup drive.
Every page in the damaged manuscript was duplicated by Lakshmi using a flatbed scanner.
文法句型
duplicate + [noun phrase]
用法筆記
The object is typically a concrete item (document, key, photo) or a digital entity (file, folder). Use 'from' to indicate the source and 'onto' or 'to' for the destination medium.
常見錯誤
2. to carry out the same task, action, or process a second time, especially when do
to carry out the same task, action, or process a second time, especially when doing so is wasteful or serves no additional purpose.
Noa duplicated her report because she forgot she had already submitted it online.
duplicate + work already done
Joaquín duplicated the same calculation error across three columns of the spreadsheet.
duplicate + mistake (unwanted repetition)
Linh worried that the new marketing proposal would duplicate the campaign from last quarter.
The new scheduling system prevents teams from duplicating each other's maintenance tasks.
Caleb realized the two departments were duplicating the same customer survey work.
- avoid
preventing unnecessary repetition is the opposite of creating it
文法句型
duplicate + [noun phrase (effort/work/mistake)]
用法筆記
Common in workplace contexts with words like 'effort,' 'work,' 'task,' and 'mistake.' Carries a negative tone of wastefulness or oversight. Distinguish from sense verb/1: here the focus is on unnecessary repetition, not on creating an exact copy.
常見錯誤
3. to become twice as large in number, amount, or size, or to cause something to re
to become twice as large in number, amount, or size, or to cause something to reach twice its previous level.
The company's annual revenue duplicated in the two years after the merger with SunCorp.
intransitive: revenue duplicate (increase twofold)
Ayana's workload duplicated when two senior nurses left the paediatric ward unexpectedly.
The population of the coastal town duplicated between 2010 and 2020 as new factories opened.
The manufacturer duplicated its output by adding a second assembly line at the factory.
- double
the everyday word; 'double' is far more common than 'duplicate' for this sense
- increase twofold
more formal; often used in academic or business writing
- halve
to reduce by half — the direct opposite of doubling
文法句型
duplicate + [noun phrase]
[noun phrase] duplicate (intransitive)
用法筆記
Considerably less common than sense verb/1. Used in formal or statistical writing about business, population, or production metrics. The intransitive use ('revenue duplicated') is the most frequent pattern. 'Double' is the everyday alternative.
常見錯誤
duplicate — adjective
- duplicatepositive
- more duplicatecomparative
- most duplicatesuperlative
1. describing something that matches the original in every detail, so that the two
describing something that matches the original in every detail, so that the two items are indistinguishable from one another.
Rania kept a duplicate set of wedding photos at her mother's flat in Taipei.
duplicate + set of [items]
The duplicate key opened the back gate without any trouble at all.
duplicate + key (common collocation)
Min found a duplicate invoice in the folder and threw the extra one away.
The hotel receptionist handed Christopher a duplicate room card during check-in.
A duplicate licence was issued after Aylin reported her original one stolen.
- original
the first version from which duplicates are made
文法句型
duplicate + [noun]
用法筆記
Almost always used before a noun (attributive position). Common with items that can be easily copied: keys, documents, cards, files, receipts. Not used with a complement (*'this key is duplicate').
常見錯誤
2. having two parts that are the same in shape, size, or design, usually because th
having two parts that are the same in shape, size, or design, usually because they are intended to form a matching pair.
The twins wore duplicate outfits on their birthday to surprise their classmates.
The architect placed duplicate stone pillars at both ends of the courtyard garden.
duplicate + plural noun (paired items)
The two guest rooms on opposite ends of the hall have duplicate furnishings and layouts.
The software generates duplicate windows so users can compare data side by side.
文法句型
duplicate + [plural noun]
用法筆記
Less common than the adjective sense about copies. Typically describes paired architectural features, symmetrical designs, or matching sets. Often interchangeable with 'matching' or 'identical' in such contexts.
常見錯誤
duplicate — noun
- duplicatesingular
- duplicatesplural
1. a physical or digital item that has been made to be exactly the same as another
a physical or digital item that has been made to be exactly the same as another item, usually to serve as a replacement or backup.
This painting is a duplicate of the one hanging in the Musée d'Orsay.
a duplicate of + [original]
Caleb made a duplicate of the spreadsheet before applying any formula changes.
The librarian found a duplicate of the rare Japanese map in the basement storage room.
Aylin stored a digital duplicate of her passport in a secure online folder.
The restaurant kept duplicates of all reservations from the previous week for reference.
- original
the first version from which duplicates are derived
文法句型
a duplicate of + [noun phrase]
用法筆記
Typically used with 'of' to indicate the original ('a duplicate of the key'). Often implies the duplicate is kept as a backup rather than for everyday use. Do not confuse with 'copy,' which is more general — a duplicate is always an exact replica.
常見錯誤
2. a situation in which a document exists in two identical copies, typically one fo
a situation in which a document exists in two identical copies, typically one for each party involved, or one for filing and one for reference.
Please fill out this customs form in duplicate and keep the yellow copy for yourself.
fill out [form] in duplicate
The visa application must be submitted in duplicate with two recent passport photographs.
submit [document] in duplicate
All sales invoices should be prepared in duplicate for the tax office and the customer.
The tenancy agreement was signed in duplicate so each party kept a copy.
- in two copies
a clearer but less formal alternative; 'in duplicate' is the standard phrase in official English
- in triplicate
same idea with three copies instead of two
文法句型
in duplicate
用法筆記
Used only in the fixed phrase 'in duplicate,' which follows verbs like 'fill out,' 'submit,' 'prepare,' 'sign,' or 'issue.' Common in official, legal, and administrative contexts. Never used as a standalone noun; not 'the duplicate' for this sense.
常見錯誤
3. an extra copy of a collectible item — such as a stamp, a book, or a coin — that
an extra copy of a collectible item — such as a stamp, a book, or a coin — that is already present in a collection and is therefore surplus to requirements.
Tara traded her duplicate stamp from the 1963 set with a collector in Kyoto.
duplicate + collectible item (stamp)
The antiquarian bookshop sold its duplicate of the first-edition novel at auction.
Anjali brought her duplicate copy of the cookbook to the community book swap event.
Coin collectors often catalogue duplicates separately and use them for trading with others.
- extra copy
more general; 'duplicate' is the precise term in collecting circles
- surplus copy
formal; emphasises that the item is not needed
- missing item
a collectible that the collector needs and does not yet own
文法句型
a duplicate of + [collectible noun]
用法筆記
Specialised vocabulary used in the context of collecting. A duplicate in this sense is not just a copy — it is an unwanted extra of something a collector already owns. Often appears alongside 'swap,' 'trade,' 'exchange,' or 'sell.'