Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The act, practice, or art of mimicking.
  • noun An instance of mimicking.
  • noun Biology The resemblance of one organism to another or to an object in its surroundings for concealment and protection from predators.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The act of imitating in speech, manner, or appearance; mockery by imitation; simulation.
  • noun An imitation; that which imitates or simulates.
  • noun In zoology, the simulation of something else in form or color, etc.; mimesis.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The act or practice of one who mimics; ludicrous imitation for sport or ridicule.
  • noun (Biol.) Protective resemblance; the resemblance which certain animals and plants exhibit to other animals and plants or to the natural objects among which they live, -- a characteristic which serves as their chief means of protection against enemies; imitation; mimesis; mimetism.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun the act or ability to simulate the appearance of someone or something else

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the resemblance of an animal species to another species or to natural objects; provides concealment and protection from predators
  • noun the act of mimicking; imitative behavior

Etymologies

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Examples

  • She paused for the phrase, then made a gesture in mimicry of his, that included the Big House and its treasures, and said, All this does not influence me a particle.

    CHAPTER XXX 2010

  • “Sleepy, sleepy,” she twittered in mimicry of drowsy birds.

    CHAPTER XXXI 2010

  • They say that mimicry is the sincerest form of flattery ….

    Gretchen | Inhabitat 2008

  • “Sleepy, sleepy,” she twittered in mimicry of drowsy birds.

    The Little Lady of the Big House, by Jack London 1916

  • Formerly I had fasted and prayed and made sacrifice on the Day of Atonement, but it was more than half play, in mimicry of my elders.

    The Promised Land 1912

  • 'Men and women!' some one piped in mimicry; and the crowd dissolved in laughter.

    The Convert 1907

  • Antichrist assumes in mimicry the universal power really belonging to Christ.

    Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible 1871

  • We are so alike, that when last Passover, in mimicry, she twined my turban round her graceful head, our uncle called her David.

    A Review of 'Alroy' 1833

  • We are so alike, that when, last Passover, * in mimicry she twined my turban round her head, our uncle called her David.

    Chapter 1 - Part I 1822

  • The men try to make the most of it, even having a masked ball on the ice in mimicry of Poe’s “Masque of the Red Death.”

    2010 February 17 « The BookBanter Blog 2010

Comments

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  • "Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation." -- Oscar Wilde

    July 14, 2008