hectograph

H4E1C3T1O1G2R1A1P3H4

noun

An old printing machine that involved the transfer of an original, prepared with special inks, to a pan of gelatin or a gelatin pad pulled tight on a metal frame.

Similar
jellygraphheliotype
Scrabble 21
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Meanings

nounhectograph (plural hectographs)

plural hectographs

  1. historicalAn old printing machine that involved the transfer of an original, prepared with special inks, to a pan of gelatin or a gelatin pad pulled tight on a metal frame.

    Synonyms: jellygraph

verbhectograph (third-person singular simple present hectographs, present participle hectographing, simple past and past participle hectographed)

present singular third person hectographs · participle present hectographing · participle past hectographed · past hectographed

  1. transitiveTo duplicate (a document) by this process.

    The menus are in hectographed handwriting.

    1971, John Updike, Rabbit Redux, Alfred A. Knopf, page 39

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAn old printing machine that involved the transfer of an original, prepared with special inks, to a pan of gelatin or a gelatin pad pulled tight on a metal frame.

Similar
jellygraph

More synonyms by meaning

nounduplicator consisting of a gelatin plate from which ink can be taken to make a copy

Similar
heliotype
Broader
duplicatorcopiercollotypecollotype printingphotogelatin process
Also see
heliotype

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From hecto- (“hundred”) + -graph, so called because it would make about 100 copies.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish hektografi
  • hektografimachine
German Hektograf
  • Hektografmachine
Polish hektograf
  • hektografmachine
Cite this entry
APA

hectograph. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hectograph

MLA

“hectograph.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hectograph. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hectograph,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hectograph.

Source: hectograph on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.