ENGLISH
REFERENCE

mimic

v.
C1 Advanced US //ˈmɪmɪk// UK //mˈɪmɪk// mim·ic

v. to copy the way someone speaks or moves, often to make people laugh. It can also describe an animal that looks like another thing to stay safe.

v. to imitate the appearance, voice, or behaviour of another, often for the purpose of entertainment or concealment. In biological contexts, it refers to an organism evolving to resemble another species or an inanimate object.


SIMPLE

The parrot can mimic the sound of a ringing phone perfectly.

CONTEXTUAL

Some harmless flies mimic the appearance of wasps to discourage predators from attacking them.

COMPLEX

The comedian's ability to mimic the subtle vocal inflections of various world leaders made his political satire both popular and remarkably biting.

Synonyms
Origin

From Latin mīmicus, from Ancient Greek μῑμικός (mīmikós, “belonging to mimes”), from μῖμος (mîmos, “imitator, actor”); see mime.

Usage

The verb is transitive and requires a direct object. Note the spelling change in the past tense and present participle: 'mimicked' and 'mimicking'.

Pitfall

He mimiced my voiceHe mimicked my voiceWhen adding suffixes starting with 'e' or 'i' to words ending in 'c', a 'k' must be inserted to maintain the hard 'k' sound.

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