master copy
- noun
- /ˈmæstər ˈkɑpi/
- Before sending the manuscript to the publisher, I double-checked the master copy for any errors.
Examples
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Please keep the master copy safe as it is the original document from which all other versions will be derived.
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I love that the master copies are in black and white.
Blog text (25) -
...of the master copy of the database in the loft.
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It was so bad that I actually stole the master copy of my film so that it could never be watched again.
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I was a fan of their music from the first couple of EPs, but I'll never forget the day I got a master copy of A Rush of Blood.
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Should they point to the 'master' copy as canonical, since I'd like you to point them to the closest copy ideally...?
Blog text (31) -
A master copy of each numerical-control file is archived in the room where the CAD work is done.
Academic text (1995) -
The editor reviewed the master copy to ensure all changes were accurately made before printing.
Synonyms
The first version of something from which copies are made
The original recording or tape from which copies are made
A piece of writing an author gives to an editor before final editing
The main computer record that holds original data for reference
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines 'master' (original/master version) and 'copy' (a reproduction) in a directly compositional way: a master copy is the original from which copies are made. This concept is common across languages and follows straightforward noun+noun compounding, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the meaning.
Etymology
Master copy comes from the idea of keeping one master as the exact model, and any copy is made from it. That's why the term means 'the original version' used to make more.