From Greek xēros 'dry' + graphia 'writing,' coined by Carlson for his liquid-free copying process that gave birth to Xerox.
A dry photocopying process in which an image is formed using electrostatic charge and heat-fused toner powder.
Coined by Chester Carlson and the Battelle Memorial Institute from Greek xēros 'dry' + -graphia 'writing.' Carlson invented the process in 1938 in his apartment in Queens, New York, and chose the name to emphasize that unlike other reproduction methods, it used no liquid chemicals. The Haloid Company later renamed itself Xerox after the process
Carlson was rejected by over 20 companies—including IBM, GE, and Kodak—before Haloid (later Xerox) took a chance on xerography. The first commercial xerographic copier, the Xerox 914 (1959), became one of the most profitable products ever manufactured.