copycat C2+ Topic:People & Society US /ˈkɑpiˌkæt/ UK /ˈkɒpiˌkæt/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun a person who imitates another, or an act that imitates one before it The detectives feared a copycat after the headlines broke. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · a person who imitates... imitatormimiccopierfollowerplagiarist ↔ Opposites innovatororiginatorpioneer Word family Related forms copycat Etymology AI details A compound of 'copy' plus 'cat', first attested in the late 19th century in New England dialect, the cat perhaps figuring as an instinctive imitator. Topics People & Society External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # copycat **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈkɑpiˌkæt/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈkɒpiˌkæt/ ## Meanings 1. a person who imitates another, or an act that imitates one before it ## Examples - The detectives feared a copycat after the headlines broke. ## Synonyms - imitator - mimic - copier - follower - plagiarist ## Antonyms - innovator - originator - pioneer ## Related Forms - copy - cat ## Etymology A compound of 'copy' plus 'cat', first attested in the late 19th century in New England dialect, the cat perhaps figuring as an instinctive imitator. ## AI Etymology Copycat is a noun and adjective meaning "a person who imitates another, or an act that imitates one before it". Historically, it is a compound of 'copy' plus 'cat', first attested in the late 19th century in New England dialect, the cat perhaps figuring as an instinctive imitator. The visible construction is part of the etymology: copycat is not just an unanalyzed simple word. Close English family members include copy, and cat. ## Topics - People & Society markdown