Definition of biomimicry
: the imitation of natural biological designs or processes in engineering or invention : biomimetics
In 1948, while walking in the woods, Swiss engineer Georges de Mestral noticed how cockleburs stuck to his dog's coat. The result? Velcro: a paragon of biomimicry in practice.— Andy Isaacson, National Geographic Adventure, December 2007
Keep scrolling for more
Test Your Vocabulary
Who Knew?
-
- What is a ruelle?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Anagram puzzles meet word search.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Share biomimicry
Time Traveler for biomimicry
The first known use of biomimicry was in 1982
See more words from the same year