Language point

'Would you please xerox these sheets of paper for me?'

Do you know what I want? I would like you to photocopy the sheets. But, you may ask, 'Isn't Xerox a company?'

Yes, indeed. Xerox is a pioneering manufacturer of photocopiers. Their products became so popular that xerox is now used as a verb meaning to copy.

Another example is to hoover a carpet. Hoover was originally a British company making vacuum cleaners - and was so well known that in Britain today 'to hoover' is a common way of saying to use a vacuum cleaner.

Sony's Walkman is another example. Walkman is the trademark for Sony's portable cassette players, but at one time was used as a short way of referring to similar players of all makes.

There are other examples of trade names being used as the standard name for a particular kind of product.