mimicry

American  

[mim-ik-ree] / ˈmɪm ɪk ri /

noun

mimicries plural

1. the act, practice, or art of mimicking.

2. 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.

3. an instance, performance, or result of mimicking.

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mimicry British  

/ ˈmɪmɪkrɪ /

noun

1. the act or art of copying or imitating closely; mimicking

2. the resemblance shown by one animal species, esp an insect, to another, which protects it from predators

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mimicry Scientific  

/ mĭm′ĭ-krē /

1. The resemblance of one organism to another or to an object in its surroundings for concealment or protection from predators.

2. See also aggressive mimicry Batesian mimicry Müllerian mimicry

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Etymology

Origin of mimicry

First recorded in 1680–90; mimic + -ry

Explanation

Mimicry is the art of imitation, which is practiced the world over, from annoying siblings who repeat every word you say, to professional comedians who impersonate famous people onstage. Mimicry comes from a Greek word for mime: a performer who silently imitates gestures and expressions. Usually mimicry refers to imitation that is meant to make fun of the thing imitated, often in an unkind way. Think of the class clown’s mimicry of your French teacher’s overly precise accent. It entertained the class, but got him sent to the principal’s office.

Example Sentences

"A novel aspect of the paper was our use of powerful mass spectrometry sequencing to identify molecular mimicry between the adenovirus vector protein and the PF4 culprit target," she says.

From Science Daily • Apr. 10, 2026

Our recent research tested whether AI systems’ consciousness claims are mere mimicry.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 25, 2025

When the patient's immune system attacks the bacteria, it may end up targeting the nerves as well – a process called molecular mimicry – leading to GBS.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2025

This AI slop, this soulless mimicry of human life, is accelerating the planet’s demise.

From Salon • Dec. 24, 2024

Jam’s mouth fell open at the mimicry, and she covered it with a hand.

From "Pet" by Akwaeke Emezi

Related Words

• pastiche