analog
n. countablen. something that is similar to something else in a way that lets you compare them. In science, it can mean a chemical that is almost the same as another one.
n. a person or thing seen as comparable to another; a representative of a similar class. In a biochemical context, refers to a compound with a molecular structure closely resembling that of another compound.
The wings of a bird are a functional analog to those of a bat.
Researchers are testing a synthetic analog of the hormone to see if it produces the same biological response.
While the two political movements emerged in different centuries, historians often treat the earlier uprising as a structural analog to the modern revolution.
First attested in the early 19th century; from French analogue, from Ancient Greek ἀνάλογος (análogos, “proportionate”), from ἀνά (aná, “up to”) + λόγος (lógos, “ratio”). Equivalent to ana- (“functionally similar”) + -log.
Often followed by the preposition 'of' or 'to' when establishing a comparison.