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mimicry

[ mim-ik-ree ]
/ ˈmɪm ɪk ri /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR mimicry ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural mim·ic·ries.

the act, practice, or art of mimicking.
Biology. the close external resemblance of an organism, the mimic, to some different organism, the model, such that the mimic benefits from the mistaken identity, as seeming to be unpalatable or harmful.
an instance, performance, or result of mimicking.

RELATED WORDS

pastiche, pretense, imitation, mockery, apery, caricature, camouflage, parody, posture, mimesis, aping, parroting, mocking, mimetism, mimicking

Nearby words

  1. mimi,
  2. mimic,
  3. mimic panel,
  4. mimical,
  5. mimically,
  6. mimine,
  7. miminy-piminy,
  8. mimir,
  9. mimo,
  10. mimosa

Origin of mimicry

First recorded in 1680–90; mimic + -ry
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for mimicry

British Dictionary definitions for mimicry

mimicry

/ (ˈmɪmɪkrɪ) /

noun plural -ries

the act or art of copying or imitating closely; mimicking
the resemblance shown by one animal species, esp an insect, to another, which protects it from predators
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for mimicry

mimicry

n.

1680s, from mimic + -ry. Zoological sense is from 1861.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for mimicry

mimicry

[ mĭm′ĭ-krē ]

n.

The resemblance of one organism to another or to an object in its surroundings for concealment and protection.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Science definitions for mimicry

mimicry

[ mĭm′ĭ-krē ]

The resemblance of one organism to another or to an object in its surroundings for concealment or protection from predators. See also aggressive mimicry Batesian mimicry Müllerian mimicry.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.