mimic

noun

mim·ic | \ ˈmi-mik

Definition of mimic

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : mime sense 2 She's a talented mimic.

2 : one that mimics

mimic

adjective

Definition of mimic (Entry 2 of 3)

1a : imitative

b : imitation, mock a mimic battle

2 : of or relating to mime or mimicry

mimic

verb

mimicked\ ˈmi-mikt

\; mimicking

Definition of mimic (Entry 3 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to imitate closely : ape He mimicked her accent.

2 : to ridicule by imitation The comic mimicked the president's mannerisms.

3 : simulate vegetable dishes that mimic meat— Carolone Bates

4 : to resemble by biological mimicry a butterfly that mimics a leaf

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about mimic

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Choose the Right Synonym for mimic

Verb

copy, imitate, mimic, ape, mock mean to make something so that it resembles an existing thing. copy suggests duplicating an original as nearly as possible. copied the painting and sold the fake as an original imitate suggests following a model or a pattern but may allow for some variation. imitate a poet's style mimic implies a close copying (as of voice or mannerism) often for fun, ridicule, or lifelike imitation. pupils mimicking their teacher ape may suggest presumptuous, slavish, or inept imitating of a superior original. American fashion designers aped their European colleagues mock usually implies imitation with derision. mocking a vain man's pompous manner

Examples of mimic in a Sentence

Noun

a gifted mimic who can do a terrific imitation of anyone's voice a mimic in black clothes and white facial makeup

Adjective

police were concerned that the mimic gun, although intended only as a toy, might be confused with the real thing in certain situations a mimic battle fought by kids playing around in the schoolyard

Verb

She has a talent for mimicking famous actresses. The lamp mimics natural sunlight. a butterfly that mimics a leaf

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Here, divers can find the rare mimic octopus as well as a vast number of beautiful turtles and colorful fish with wall diving. — Alex Postman, Condé Nast Traveler, "28 Places Our Travel Specialists Say You Should Go in 2019," 17 Dec. 2018 Real-time ray tracing mimics how light behaves in the real world by mapping out rays that originate from 3D illumination sources in a scene. — Brad Chacos, PCWorld, "RTX on! Battlefield V becomes the first game to support DXR real-time ray tracing," 14 Nov. 2018 Lady Gaga's natural, undone look on the Vogue cover mimics that of her on-screen character in A Star Is Born; and in fact, going makeup-free actually helped her get the role. — Zoë Weiner, Teen Vogue, "Lady Gaga Covers the “Vogue” October Issue Wearing $50 of Drugstore Makeup," 11 Sep. 2018 The metal base mimics rattan but keeps the lamp sure-footed. — Joanna Linberg, Sunset, "10 Stunning Rattan Pieces for Your Home," 22 Jan. 2018 For now his routine roughly mimics that, albeit moved ahead by two days: throwing Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and again Friday. — Gregg Doyel, Indianapolis Star, "Doyel: Andrew Luck's head tells his shoulder it's time to throw," 12 June 2018 West's Yeezy Season 2 collection mimics that of the apartment's minimalist walls, geometric lines and barely decorated space. — Hannah Beery, Harper's BAZAAR, "Go Inside the Apartment That Inspired Yeezy Season 2," 3 Nov. 2015 The glass bottle mimics the fish’s body, and the balloon represents the swim bladder inside its body. — Svenja Lohner, Scientific American, "Floating with a Swim Bladder," 5 July 2018 The configuration of beams mimics Purdue HQ’s modernist architectural design. — Susan Dunne, courant.com, "Gallery Owner Says Opioid Exhibit, Protest At Purdue Just The Beginning Of 'Spoon Movement'," 26 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

In some cases, suspected Chinese breaches appear to have resulted in copycat technologies, such as the drones China has produced that mimic U.S. unmanned aircraft. — Washington Post, "China hacked a Navy contractor and secured a trove of highly sensitive data on submarine warfare," 8 June 2018 In some cases, suspected Chinese breaches appear to have resulted in copycat technologies, such as the drones China has produced that mimic U.S. unmanned aircraft. — chicagotribune.com, "China hacked Navy contractor, secured trove of sensitive data on submarine warfare," 8 June 2018 In some cases, suspected Chinese breaches appear to have resulted in copycat technologies, such as the drones China has produced that mimic U.S. unmanned aircraft. — Mark Dent, Anchorage Daily News, "China hacked Navy contractor, secured trove of sensitive data on submarine warfare," 8 June 2018 How could people, wielding tools instead of teeth, mimic nature's most talented builders? — Ben Goldfarb, Science | AAAS, "Beaver dams without beavers? Artificial logjams are a popular but controversial restoration tool," 7 June 2018 Airmen expressed astonishment over the fact that Lindbergh, facing 17 hours of continuous night and day flying, spent 30 minutes engaged in mimic air battle with naval aviators. — sandiegouniontribune.com, "May 11, 1927: Lindbergh winging his way from San Diego to Paris," 11 May 2018 At the international level sport is frankly mimic warfare. — Norman Chad, San Antonio Express-News, "Norman Chad: The Olympics ideal doesn’t exist," 19 Feb. 2018 The devices, often referred to by brand names like Stingray and Hailstorm, mimic cell towers, forcing nearby phones to connect to them, thereby allowing everyone within a certain proximity to be tracked. — Orange County Register, "House Oversight Committee tackles spying policies," 20 Jan. 2017 New innovations include down fills that mimic featherbeds and visco-elastic memory fills that respond to body temperatures and shapes, providing added support. — Carla Jordan, ELLE Decor, "Bedding 101," 10 Nov. 2008

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Some are red, others are orange, and some mimic toxic glasswings in the cloud forest like this this one. 4. — Erika Trombley, Seventeen, "Everything We Know About The CW's Adorable New Show “Ready, Set, Pet”," 29 Jan. 2019 And then the surprising finding was that the [Formica] ants also chemically mimic the trap-jaw species. — Rachel Becker, The Verge, "High-speed video solves how Florida ants furnish their nests with their enemies’ bodies," 18 Nov. 2018 So, is this vernix-mimicking compound even doing anything other, more recognizable ingredients don't already do quite well? — Marci Robin, Allure, ""Newborn" Cream Claims to Give Adults Baby-Soft Skin With a Surprising Ingredient," 29 Oct. 2018 Stuffed animals, glass tchotchkes, and angel figurines filled the walls—mimicking the Blanchard’s home decor. — Lauren Sanchez, Vogue, "Patricia Arquette, Chloë Sevigny, Joey King, and AnnaSophia Robb Attend Last Night’s Premiere for Hulu’s Hair-Raising Series, The Act," 16 Mar. 2019 Since Tritton started, Target has launched 20 new private label brands across home goods, electronics, and clothing, mimicking a strategy codified by Amazon over the course of the last decade. — Kaitlyn Tiffany, Vox, "Can Vans really sue Target for a cheap look-alike of its most famous skater shoe?," 26 Dec. 2018 Engine firings will slow its final descent and the spacecraft will plop down on its rigid legs, mimicking the landings of earlier successful missions. — Marcia Dunn, The Seattle Times, "Mars revisited: NASA spacecraft days away from risky landing," 21 Nov. 2018 The narrow room has lively next-gen vibe, with communal wood tables, counter service, and colorful wall murals of Laos’ famous three-headed elephant and the mythical serpent Naga — mimicking a tattoo across Phanthachit’s back. — Craig Laban, Philly.com, "Orlando's best dining thrills are outside the parks," 22 June 2018 In this show, a gecko’s sticky toes lead to a super adhesive, edible shelters are grown from trees, and a sculpture mimics a spine. — BostonGlobe.com, "The Ticket: What’s happening in the local arts world," 25 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mimic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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The first known use of mimic was in 1596

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More Definitions for mimic

mimic

noun

English Language Learners Definition of mimic

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a person who copies the behavior or speech of other people : a person who mimics other people also : an animal that naturally looks like something else

mimic

verb

English Language Learners Definition of mimic (Entry 2 of 2)

: to copy (someone or someone's behavior or speech) especially for humor

: to create the appearance or effect of (something)

: to naturally look like (something)

See the full definition for mimic in the English Language Learners Dictionary

mimic

noun

mim·ic | \ ˈmi-mik

Kids Definition of mimic

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a person or animal that imitates something or someone Parrots can be excellent mimics of human speech.

mimic

verb

mimicked; mimicking

Kids Definition of mimic (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to imitate very closely She can mimic her favorite actress.

2 : to make fun of by imitating Stop mimicking everything I say.

mimic

noun

mim·ic | \ ˈmim-ik

Medical Definition of mimic

(Entry 1 of 2)

: one that mimics a mimic of a naturally occurring hormone

mimic

transitive verb

mimicked\ -ikt

\; mimicking

Medical Definition of mimic (Entry 2 of 2)

: to imitate or resemble closely: as

a : to imitate the symptoms of an acute inflammatory process located in the ileocecal region mimics acute appendicitis — Merck Manual

b : to produce an effect and especially a physiological effect similar to chemically unrelated to the hormone that it mimics — Chemical & Engineering News