Müllerian mimicry

or Mul·le·ri·an mimicry

[ myoo-leer-ee-uhn, muh-, mi- ]

/ myuˈlɪər i ən, mʌ-, mɪ- /

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noun Ecology.

the resemblance in appearance of two or more unpalatable species, which are avoided by predators to a greater degree than any one of the species would be otherwise.

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Compare Batesian mimicry.

Origin of Müllerian mimicry

After German-born Brazilian biologist Fritz Müller (1821–97), who described it in 1878; see -ian

Words nearby Müllerian mimicry

mullah, mullein, mullein pink, muller, mullered, Müllerian mimicry, Müller-Lyer illusion, mullet, mulley, mulligan, mulligatawny

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Müllerian mimicry in a sentence

Mimicry is an ingenious survival technique, albeit one that is of little use against bulldozers and chainsaws.
Exploring the Amazon, While We Still Can|Darrell Hartman|May 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But this was an element of Jeff that I understood; his mimicry and his retention for music and melody.
‘Greetings From Tim Buckley’: Penn Badgley on Playing Late Musician Jeff Buckley|Richard Porton|April 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
We were speaking of the faculty of mimicry, and he told me such a funny little anecdote about Chopin.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
Caroline, during this time, is busy with an alarming piece of mimicry: she looks as if she were going to faint.
The Petty Troubles of Married Life, Complete|Honore de Balzac

One thing in connection with Chopin's mimicry has to be particularly noted—it is very characteristic of the man.
Frederick Chopin as a Man and Musician|Frederick Niecks
Her powers of mimicry, too, particularly of the different dialects of France, have seldom been surpassed.
Queens of the French Stage|H. Noel Williams
The strangers assembled to see our childish mimicry of passion were witnesses to a highly-wrought dramatic scene in real life.
The Blue Jar Story Book|Maria Edgeworth

British Dictionary definitions for Müllerian mimicry

Müllerian mimicry

/ (muːˈlɪərɪən) /

noun

zoology mimicry in which two or more harmful or inedible species resemble each other, so that predators tend to avoid them

Word Origin for Müllerian mimicry

C19: named after J.F.T. Müller (1821–97), German zoologist who first described it

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

Scientific definitions for Müllerian mimicry

Müllerian mimicry

[ myōō-lîr′ē-ən, mə- ]

A form of protective mimicry in which two or more poisonous or unpalatable species closely resemble each other and are therefore avoided equally by all their natural predators. The similarity in coloration between the monarch and viceroy butterflies, once considered an example of Batesian mimicry, is now generally considered as Müllerian mimicry because the viceroy is thought to be as bad-tasting to birds as the monarch. Müllerian mimicry is named after the German-born Brazilian zoologist Fritz Müller (1821-97). Compare aggressive mimicry Batesian mimicry.