meme
/miːm/ noun, verb
Forms memes memeing meming memed
- noun (originally) Any unit of (originally cultural) information, such as a practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another in a comparable way to the transmission of genes.
- noun (Internet) Media, usually humorous, which is copied and circulated online with slight adaptations, such as basic pictures, video templates, etc. “He posted a meme that went viral within a few hours on social media.”
- noun (Internet) A specific instance of a meme, such as an image macro or a video, often with humorous superimposed text. “This meme generator lets you make your own memes by adding a caption to existing images, or by uploading your own image.”
- noun (Internet slang, derogatory) Something which is deceptive; a trick, a ruse. “It's a meme degree, you know. Good luck getting a job from that.”
- noun (Internet slang, derogatory) Something not to be taken seriously; a joke. “It's a meme degree, you know. Good luck getting a job from that.”
- noun (Internet) A work produced and shared in response to a prompt or suggestion within an online group. “kink meme”
- verb (intransitive, Internet slang) To create and use humorous memes.
- verb (transitive, Internet slang) To turn into a meme; to use a meme, especially to achieve a goal in real life.
- verb (intransitive, Internet slang, by extension) To joke around.
- noun (informal, term of endearment) Granny; nana.
Synonyms
Etymology
Clipping of mimeme, equivalent to mime + -eme.
Coined by British biologist Richard Dawkins in 1976 in his book The Selfish Gene. Shortened (after gene) from mimeme (compare English phoneme), anglicized as if from a noun derived from Ancient Greek μῑμέομαι (mīméomai) with the deverbal suffix -μα (-ma), from μῖμος (mîmos, “imitation, copy”). The concept was later applied to the Internet by Mike Godwin.
From French mémé (“granny”).
Sources: Wiktionary — from the Wiktionary entry “meme”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details