Definition of the word fax

The word "fax" is an abbreviation of the term "facsimile," which is derived from the Latin words "fac" ('forma') and "simile" ('similis') meaning 'same shape' or 'likeness.' Facsimile technology was invented in the late 19th century, but it wasn't until the 1960s that high-speed and affordable fax machines were developed. These machines used telephone lines to transmit scanned documents as bitmaps, making them a convenient and efficient way to transmit information quickly over long distances. The term "facsimile" became associated with these machines, and the shorter form "fax" began to appear in popular use in the 1970s. By the 1980s, fax machines had become widely adopted, particularly in business and industry, making the term a commonplace word in modern language. Today, with the increasing popularity and availability of digital communication, the use of traditional fax machines has decreased significantly, but the term "fax" still remains a recognized and frequently used word in everyday language.