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imitation

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imitation

 

  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Imitation  \Im"i*ta"tion\,  n.  [L.  imitatio:  cf  F.  imitation.] 
  1.  The  act  of  imitating. 
 
  Poesy  is  an  art  of  imitation,  .  .  .  that  is  to  say 
  a  representing,  counterfeiting,  or  figuring  forth. 
  --Sir  P. 
  Sidney. 
 
  2.  That  which  is  made  or  produced  as  a  copy;  that  which  is 
  made  to  resemble  something  else,  whether  for  laudable  or 
  for  fraudulent  purposes;  likeness;  resemblance. 
 
  Both  these  arts  are  not  only  true  imitations  of 
  nature,  but  of  the  best  nature.  --Dryden. 
 
  3.  (Mus.)  One  of  the  principal  means  of  securing  unity  and 
  consistency  in  polyphonic  composition;  the  repetition  of 
  essentially  the  same  melodic  theme,  phrase,  or  motive,  on 
  different  degrees  of  pitch,  by  one  or  more  of  the  other 
  parts  of  voises  Cf  {Canon}. 
 
  4.  (Biol.)  The  act  of  condition  of  imitating  another  species 
  of  animal,  or  a  plant,  or  unanimate  object.  See  {Imitate}, 
  v.  t.,  3. 
 
  Note:  Imitation  is  often  used  adjectively  to  characterize 
  things  which  have  a  deceptive  appearance,  simulating 
  the  qualities  of  a  superior  article;  --  opposed  to 
  {real}  or  {genuine};  as  imitation  lace;  imitation 
  bronze;  imitation  modesty,  etc 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  imitation 
  adj  1:  not  genuine  or  real;  being  an  imitation  of  the  genuine 
  article;  "it  isn't  fake  anything  it's  real  synthetic 
  fur";  "faux  pearls";  "false  teeth";  "decorated  with 
  imitation  palm  leaves";  "a  purse  of  simulated  aligator 
  hide"  [syn:  {fake},  {false},  {faux},  {simulated}] 
  2:  artificial  and  inferior;  "ersatz  coffee";  "coffee 
  substitute"  [syn:  {ersatz},  {substitute(p)}] 
  n  1:  the  doctrine  that  representations  of  nature  or  human 
  behavior  should  be  accurate  imitations  [ant:  {formalism}] 
  2:  a  copy  that  is  presented  as  the  original  [syn:  {counterfeit}, 
  {forgery}] 
  3:  the  act  of  imitating 
  4:  a  representation  of  a  person  that  is  exaggerated  for  comic 
  effect  [syn:  {caricature},  {impersonation}]




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