duplicator that transmits the copy by wire or radio
"I had to rush my resume home and fax it before the office closed for the day."
The hair of the head.
"The old fax on my desk jammed right after I sent the contract, so I had to go get it from the copy shop downstairs."
A fax machine or a document received and printed by one.
In plain English: A fax is a document sent electronically from one computer to another and printed out on paper.
"I need to send that important contract via fax before the meeting starts."
Usage: Use "fax" to refer specifically to the physical paper copy produced by a fax machine, not the electronic signal itself. Do not use it as a verb meaning to transmit data; instead, say "send a fax."
To send a document via a fax machine.
"I had to fax my resignation letter directly to HR before I could leave the office today."
In plain English: To fax something means to send a copy of a document electronically to another person's machine.
"I need to fax my resume to the employer before tomorrow."
Usage: Use "fax" as a verb to describe the action of sending a document electronically over telephone lines using a dedicated fax machine. Do not use it to mean emailing a file or scanning a document for digital storage without transmission.
The word "fax" comes from the Old English feax, which originally meant "hair." It traveled into modern usage to describe a machine that transmits documents by scanning them like fine hairs.