git clone is a command used in Git to create a copy of an existing Git repository. The copy created by git clone is a full-fledged Git repository, meaning it has its own history, manages its own files, and is a completely isolated environment from the original repository.

When you clone a repository, you get the entire repository - all files, all branches, and all commits. The original repository can be located on the local filesystem or on a remote machine accessible through supported protocols. Cloning a remote repository creates a local version of that repository on your machine, giving you a sandbox to experiment without affecting the original code base.

git clone can be used to:

• Clone a local or remote repository
• Clone a bare repository
• Use shallow options to partially clone repositories
• Clone a repository but without the ability to edit any of the files
• Clone only a single branch

In summary, git clone is a command used to create a copy of an existing Git repository, allowing you to work on the code locally without affecting the original code base.