What does mimeograph mean?
A mimeograph is a machine used to make copies of written or printed material by forcing ink through a stencil onto paper. Historically, offices, schools, clubs, and community organizations used mimeographs to circulate notices, newsletters, forms, and other documents before photocopiers became commonplace. A prepared stencil served as the master copy, and it could often be corrected and reused for additional impressions. The word can also refer to the stencil itself, the copying process, or, as a verb, the act of producing a document this way. Today, “mimeograph” usually carries a historical or nostalgic association, especially in memories of schoolrooms and small offices. It is a vivid example of a once-ordinary piece of office technology that has largely been replaced by photocopying and digital printing.
A machine for reproducing written or printed material by forcing ink through a stencil onto paper; by extension, the stencil or the copying process itself.
"She typed the announcement on a master and produced fifty copies with the mimeograph."
The word is now largely historical, though it remains common in nostalgia for older offices and schools.
To reproduce a document or other written material using a mimeograph.
"Volunteers mimeographed hundreds of tickets for the school event."
This use is dated in contemporary settings but remains standard in historical descriptions.
The plural is used for individual machines, stencils, or documents produced by the process.
"The basement contained several mimeographs and boxes of prepared stencils."
Its name literally means “imitative writing,” combining imitation with the ancient idea of writing on a surface.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does mimeograph come from?
The word combines Greek roots meaning “imitation” and “writing,” reflecting the machine's ability to reproduce an existing text. Greek mimos, meaning “imitator” or “actor,” is also the source of related English words such as mime, mimic, and mimetic. The combining element graph-, from Greek graphein, “to write,” also underlies words including graph, graphic, and autograph.
Related word forms
How mimeograph is actually used
The word is now chiefly historical or nostalgic, since photocopiers and digital printers have largely replaced mimeographs. As a verb, it means to reproduce material using a mimeograph.
Easily confused with mimeograph
A mime is a performer who communicates through gestures, whereas a mimeograph is a device or process for copying written material.