meme
[ meem ]
/ mim /
noun
- a cultural item that is transmitted by repetition and replication in a manner analogous to the biological transmission of genes.
- a cultural item in the form of an image, video, phrase, etc., that is spread via the Internet and often altered in a creative or humorous way.
verb (used without object), memed, meme·ing or mem·ing.
to create and spread memes: He spends a lot of time memeing and sharing his videos with friends.
verb (used with object), memed, meme·ing or mem·ing.
to make the subject of a meme: cute cats that get memed.
Origin of meme
First recorded in 1976,
meme is from the Greek word
mīmeîsthai ‘to imitate, copy’; coined by R. Dawkins, British biologist
Words nearby meme
Example sentences from the Web for meme
British Dictionary definitions for meme
meme
/ (miːm) /
noun
an idea or element of social behaviour passed on through generations in a culture, esp by imitation
Word Origin for meme
C20: possibly from
mimic, on the model of
gene