To copy or imitate someone's speech, gestures, or actions, often in an exaggerated or playful way.
From Greek 'mimikos' meaning 'imitative,' related to 'mimos' (mime). The word entered English through Latin and French, originally referring to theatrical imitation.
Parrots literally mimic sounds without understanding them, but humans who mimic activate the same mirror neurons in their brains as the person being imitated—we're neurologically wired to be copycat learners!
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