copytaker: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1-C2 (Low Frequency, Specialized)Specialized, Historical, Professional, Formal, Journalistic
Quick answer
What does “copytaker” mean?
A person (typically in a newspaper office, agency, or similar organization) whose job is to receive text by phone or other means and write it down or type it up for publication.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person (typically in a newspaper office, agency, or similar organization) whose job is to receive text by phone or other means and write it down or type it up for publication.
A clerical or editorial role involving the accurate transcription of verbal or written reports, often used historically for taking down journalists' stories. In modern contexts, the role may be automated or referred to with different job titles.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term was historically used in both UK and US newsrooms but is now largely obsolete and considered historical in both. More common in UK historical contexts. The American equivalent role was sometimes called a 'copy clerk' or 'rewrite man/woman'.
Connotations
Both carry connotations of a bygone era of journalism (typewriters, rotary phones). The British usage may be slightly more recognized due to its persistence in dictionaries and historical TV/film.
Frequency
Extremely low and declining in both varieties. More likely encountered in historical documents, period dramas, or memoirs than in contemporary job listings.
Grammar
How to Use “copytaker” in a Sentence
[Journalist/Reporter] + verb (dictated/read/phoned) + [story/report] + preposition (to) + [copytaker][Copytaker] + verb (took/transcribed/wrote up) + [copy/story]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “copytaker” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The reporter had to copytake his own story when the desk was short-staffed. (rare, back-formation)
- She spent years copytaking for the local press.
American English
- He was copytaking for the city desk. (rare)
adjective
British English
- The copytaker role has vanished.
- He had a copytaker's ear for precise transcription.
American English
- The copytaker position was eliminated.
- She worked the copytaker shift.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Would only appear in the context of media companies discussing historical operations.
Academic
Found in historical analyses of journalism, media studies, or sociological studies of work.
Everyday
Virtually never used. An older person might recall the role from their youth.
Technical
Obsolete in modern journalism. The function is served by digital tools, email, and direct input into content management systems.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “copytaker”
Strong
Neutral
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “copytaker”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “copytaker”
- Confusing 'copytaker' with 'copyright' due to similar spelling.
- Using it as a modern job title.
- Spelling as 'copy taker' (should be one word or hyphenated in some historical sources).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is largely obsolete. The function has been replaced by digital communication (email, direct input) and changes in newsroom workflow.
A copytaker was a transcriptionist who recorded text verbatim. A copy editor checks, corrects, and improves text for style, accuracy, and clarity. The roles are distinct.
In modern dictionaries and standard usage, it is a single compound word ('copytaker'). Historical sources may occasionally hyphenate it ('copy-taker').
Extremely rarely. Its core meaning is tied to receiving text for publication. While theoretically it could apply to similar roles in other fields (e.g., police taking reports), it is not the standard term.
A person (typically in a newspaper office, agency, or similar organization) whose job is to receive text by phone or other means and write it down or type it up for publication.
Copytaker is usually specialized, historical, professional, formal, journalistic in register.
Copytaker: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkɒpiˌteɪkə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkɑːpiˌteɪkər/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “to phone it in to the copytaker (literal, not idiomatic)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a COPY of a news TAKER: a person who TAKES (records) the COPY (the journalist's story).
Conceptual Metaphor
THE NEWSROOM IS A FACTORY (copytaker as an assembly line worker processing raw material [words] for the final product [newspaper]).
Practice
Quiz
The term 'copytaker' is most closely associated with which historical industry?