From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (19 January 2023):
clone
<jargon> 1. An exact copy of a product, made legally or
illegally, from documentation or by reverse engineering,
and usually cheaper.
E.g. "PC clone": a PC-BUS/ISA, EISA, VESA, or PCI
compatible x86-based microcomputer (this use is sometimes
misspelled "klone" or "PClone"). These invariably have much more
bang per buck than the IB PCM they resemble.
E.g. "Unix clone": An operating system designed to deliver a
Unix-like environment without Unix licence fees or with
additional "mission-critical" features such as support for
real-time programming.
2. <chat> A clonebot.
(2000-06-15)