meme

[meem]

noun

1. 1. a cultural item that is transmitted by repetition and replication in a manner analogous to the biological transmission of genes.

   2. a cultural item in the form of an image, video, phrase, etc., that is spread via the internet and often altered in a creative or humorous way.

verb (used without object)

memed, memeing, meming. 

1. to create and spread memes.

   He spends a lot of time memeing and sharing his videos with friends.

verb (used with object)

memed, memeing, meming. 

1. to make the subject of a meme.

   cute cats that get memed.

meme

/ miːm /

noun

1. an idea or element of social behaviour passed on through generations in a culture, esp by imitation

Word History and Origins

Origin of meme¹

First recorded in 1976; coined by British evolutionary biologist C. Richard Dawkins (born 1941), shortening of Dawkins's original creation mimeme, which was based on Greek mī́mēma “imitation, copy; artistic representation,” but which Dawkins also wanted to look and sound like gene; mimesis ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of meme¹

C20: possibly from _mimic , on the model of _gene

Example Sentences

Professionals don’t host social media accounts that regularly spew memes that paint the picture of an American homeland where white makes right and everyone else must be eliminated, like the Department of Homeland Security does.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Beyond Meat, which became the latest hot meme stock among individual investors after a more than 400% surge earlier this week, also fell, ending a volatile day down 1.1%.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Unloved companies with cheap shares are prime candidates for meme stock status.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The Beyond Meat meme stock surge comes against a backdrop of jitters about an overvalued stock market.

Read more on BBC

The rally made waves online, with Reddit users comparing the stock to Beyond Meat, another so-called meme stock that has rallied even more dramatically, doubling in price over the past few days.

Read more on Barron's