meme

American  

[meem] / mim /

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.

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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 British  

/ miːm /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of meme

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. )

Example Sentences

The intelligence chief’s curt, deadpan delivery has helped popularize the work of the military intelligence agency, known as HUR, with the public using Budanov’s interviews for widely circulated memes on social media mocking Russia.

From The Wall Street Journal

They traded options, sent a new class of meme stocks to the moon and piled into the Magnificent Seven tech companies when the “smart money” got skittish.

From The Wall Street Journal

Gold and silver traded like meme stocks en route to their largest one-year gains since the inflationary shock of 1979.

From The Wall Street Journal

The impact of the restoration led to the "Monkey Christ" meme and saw the once quiet town of Borja quickly become a tourist destination.

From BBC

Speculative trading has more recently added momentum to the move, making assets normally seen as safe havens trade as if they were meme stocks.

From The Wall Street Journal