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# mimicry

noun (mimicry, uncountable)

«mimicry» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Mimicry is copying the way someone talks, moves or behaves, often to make people laugh. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mimicry/#m1)
2. (science) Mimicry is when a living thing looks or sounds like another thing to protect itself or to trick others, like a harmless hoverfly that looks like a wasp. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mimicry/#m2)

### In the lessons

In science lessons on adaptation, mimicry helps animals survive: hoverflies copy wasp stripes, some caterpillars look like snakes, the lyrebird copies chainsaws and camera clicks, stick insects look like twigs (that is camouflage, a close idea). In drama and everyday life, mimicry is doing impressions of people; making fun of someone in a hurtful way is unkind. Phrases: «a talent for mimicry», «vocal mimicry», «animal mimicry».

### Examples

- The hoverfly's stripes are an example of mimicry. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mimicry/#x1)
- Parrots are famous for their mimicry of human speech. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mimicry/#x2)
- The lyrebird's mimicry can copy a car alarm. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mimicry/#x3)
- His mimicry of the head teacher made the class giggle. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mimicry/#x4)
- Mimicry helps harmless animals look dangerous. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mimicry/#x5)
- Some orchids use mimicry to look like bees. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mimicry/#x6)

### Note

Uncountable. Verb: «mimic, mimics, mimicked, mimicking» (add k before -ed and -ing). Mimicry (looking like another animal) is not the same as camouflage (blending into the background), though both help animals hide or survive.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «mimicry» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mimicry/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«mimicry» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/mimicry.html) on Mova free.