19 September 2007

Word #1

meme (mēm) Pronunciation Key
n. A unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another.


[Shortening (modeled on gene) of mimeme, from Greek mimēma, something imitated, from mimeisthai, to imitate; see mimesis.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. 18 Sep. 2007. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/meme>.

What a useful word.

"Language - it's a virus' Laurie Anderson.

1 comment:

  1. "I have frequently spoken of word and image as viruses or as acting as viruses, and this is not an allegorical comparison."

    william s. burroughs

    http://www.digitalcraft.org/?artikel_id=294

    ReplyDelete