| 1. | a duplicate of anything written or typed, made by using carbon paper. |
| 2. | a near or exact duplicate of a given person or thing; replica. |
| carbon copy n.
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carbon copy
A person or thing that closely resembles another, as in Our grandson is a carbon copy of his dad. Originally this term meant a copy of a document made by using carbon paper. The linguistic transfer to other kinds of duplicate survived the demise of carbon paper (replaced by photocopiers, computer printers, and other more sophisticated devices). [c. 1870]