a cultural item that is transmitted by repetition and replication in a manner analogous to the biological transmission of genes.
a cultural item in the form of an image, video, phrase, etc., that is spread via the internet and often altered in a creative or humorous way.
verb (used without object),memed,meme·ing or mem·ing.
to create and spread memes: He spends a lot of time memeing and sharing his videos with friends.
verb (used with object),memed,meme·ing or mem·ing.
to make the subject of a meme: cute cats that get memed.
Origin of meme
First recorded in 1976; coined by British evolutionary biologist C. Richard Dawkins (born 1941), shortening of Dawkins's original creation mimeme, which was based on Greek mī́mēma “imitation, copy; artistic representation,” but which Dawkins also wanted to look and sound like gene;cf. mimesis
A few years ago, “zoom and enhance” was an internet meme making fun of CSI-style shows using a technology that didn’t really exist.
How to use super-resolution and improve onsite image quality|Kristin Tynski|September 1, 2020|Search Engine Watch
The company, which got its start as a meme maker, offers a free suite of browser-based video-editing software tools.
Memers are making deepfakes, and things are getting weird|Karen Hao|August 28, 2020|MIT Technology Review
She then synched the song to the video with Kapwing’s tools, creating a new version of the meme.
Memers are making deepfakes, and things are getting weird|Karen Hao|August 28, 2020|MIT Technology Review
While branded memes haven’t reached become the butt of a joke like the Bloomberg campaign memes, making memes that don’t land the joke or don’t stick out can also be an issue.
‘A different language’: Why venturing into meme-based marketing can be risky for brands|Kristina Monllos|August 28, 2020|Digiday
This was debunked numerous times, but the meme quickly spread to Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
Evangelicals are looking for answers online. They’re finding QAnon instead.|Abby Ohlheiser|August 26, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Some immediately treated the young rapper as a punchline, turning his awkward posture in the photo into a meme.
Bobby Shmurda and Rap’s Ultimate Hoop Dream|Rawiya Kameir|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The beef began three days ago, when Snoop posted an unflattering Iggy meme to his Instagram.
Who Dat, Who Dat? It’s Snoop Dogg Saying Misogynistic Things to I-G-G-Y|Amy Zimmerman|October 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The meme enters your mind, changes how you behave, and then finds a way to pass itself on to another person.
The Midichlorians Made Me Do It: Can Microbes Explain Religion?|Michael Schulson|August 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Another ad attempts to tie Land to the “war on women” meme that worked so well for Democrats in 2012.
How Harry Reid Carpet-Bombed the South|Eleanor Clift|May 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The meme is that doctors are getting away with something and need constant training, watching and regulating.
How Being a Doctor Became the Most Miserable Profession|Daniela Drake|April 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Pu d'instants apres il dit l'Empereur Alexandre lui meme, "Il ne vous reste que le tronc—mais le cœur y est, et la tte est vous."
Travels in France during the years 1814-1815|Archibald Alison
British Dictionary definitions for meme
meme
/ (miːm) /
noun
an idea or element of social behaviour passed on through generations in a culture, esp by imitation
The Original Memes (Before Memes)Memes capture the concept of “cultural transmission” of ideas. Which means they have been around as long as humans have.
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The Office Helped Create These Memorable And Meme-able WordsThe good old days of The Office. These quotes. They're the same picture. If you're missing office banter, you need to revisit these iconic quotes.