What does facsimile mean?
Word: Facsimile
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Facsimile means an exact copy of something such as an old document, a painting or a signature.
Synonyms: reproduction
How do you spell facsimile?
Syllables: fac - sim - i - le
Tricky part: The final e is spoken as a full syllable, something like lee, although a single e is all you write. Pupils who spell by ear add a y or a second e.
Watch out for: facsimily, facsimilee
Memory tip: Recipe and facsimile finish the same way: with one plain e that you can hear clearly.
Facsimile in a sentence
Example 1: The museum shop sells a facsimile of an old map of Mumbai.
Example 2: The book opens with a facsimile of the poet's handwritten notes.
Example 3: Grandfather framed a facsimile of his school certificate, since the original had grown too fragile.
Fun Fact
The word fax is a shortening of this one. A fax machine sends a copy of a page down a telephone line, and the Latin phrase behind the longer word meant make alike.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The librarian carefully placed a fascimile of the ancient manuscript inside a locked glass cabinet near the reading room.
a) cabinet
b) librarian
c) manuscript
d) fascimile
Show answer
d) fascimile. The c comes before the s in this word, so the two letters have been swapped here.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters to find the word that fits the sentence:
The gallery hung a superb aifsmecli of the painting, and visitors could not tell it from the real one.
a) facsimile
b) semblance
c) fragment
d) simile
Show answer
a) facsimile. Visitors are looking at a copy, and only one of these words has an f, an m and a c among its letters.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. facsimile 2. lucretive 3. ephemerel 4. gregarius
a) enjoying the company of other people
b) bringing in a large amount of money
c) gone after only a very short time
d) a copy made to match the source in every detail
Show answer
d) a copy made to match the source in every detail. Gregarious needs ious at the end, ephemeral takes al, and lucrative has an a after the r.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word facsimile as used in the sentence:
For the exhibition, the curators made a facsimile of the royal letter on aged paper.
a) portrait
b) replica
c) catalogue
d) envelope
Show answer
b) replica. A replica is a close copy of an object, as this is of the letter.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A facsimile edition of a rare book is useful because ____
a) it is always shorter and easier to read than the original
b) it is translated into several modern languages
c) it corrects all the spelling errors in the original
d) readers can study the pages without touching the original
Show answer
d) readers can study the pages without touching the original
2. Which of these is NOT a facsimile?
a) a printed match of a handwritten letter
b) a summary of a letter in your own words
c) a photographic copy of an old page
d) a scanned image of a signed form
Show answer
b) a summary of a letter in your own words
