mimic

Mimic (noun and verb) refers to a person or thing that imitates another. As a biological and cultural phenomenon, mimicry describes a resemblance that is intentionally adopted to achieve a goal such as concealment, defense, or social advantage. The term derives from Latin mimicus and Greek mimesis, both meaning imitation. In everyday use, a mimic is someone skilled at impression or comic imitation, while a mimic object is designed to resemble something else.

Biology uses mimicry to describe strategies that increase an organism's fitness by resembling another organism or object. Types include Batesian mimicry, in which a harmless species imitates a harmful one; Müllerian mimicry, where several harmful species share a warning signal; and aggressive mimicry, where a predator or parasite imitates something benign to approach prey. Mechanisms include color patterns, behavior, and sometimes chemical cues. Classic examples include the viceroy butterfly and coral snakes.

Non-biological uses of mimic include cultural and entertainment contexts. A human mimic imitates another's voice or mannerisms for humor or deception. In fiction and games, a mimic is a creature or object that disguises itself as an ordinary item, such as a chest or statue, then reveals its true nature to attack or interact with others. The trope appears across folklore, literature, and modern role-playing games, where it often serves as a surprise encounter.

Mimicry also informs studies of social behavior and evolution. In psychology, spontaneous mimicry of others' posture or speech can promote rapport, while deliberate mimicry can influence persuasion. In ecology and evolution, mimicry demonstrates how selective pressures shape appearance, behavior, and signaling among interacting species.