Main Entry: ¹im·age

Pronunciation: \ˈim-ij\

Function: noun

1 a : the optical counterpart of an object produced by an optical device (as a lens or mirror) or an electronic device—see real image, virtual image b : a likeness of an object produced on a photographic material
2 : a mental picture or impression of something <had a negative body image of herself>: as a (1) : a mental conception held in common by members of a group and symbolic of a basic attitude and orientation <the compassionate small-town family doctor, an image that the AMA deeply admires—Current Biography> (2) : an idealized conception of a person and especially a parent that is formed by an infant or child, is retained in the unconscious, and influences behavior in later life <the overwhelming influence of the mother image—John Messenger>—called also imago b : the memory of a perception in psychology that is modified by subsequent experience ; also : the representation of the source of a stimulus on a receptor mechanism