/ ɪmˈpɜːsəneɪt; NAmE -ˈpɜːrs-/ verb
[ vn ] to pretend to be sb in order to trick people or to entertain them :
He was caught trying to impersonate a security guard.
They do a pretty good job of impersonating Laurel and Hardy.
► im·per·son·ation / ɪmˌpɜːsəˈneɪʃn; NAmE -ˌpɜːrs-/ noun [ C , U ]
SYN impression :
He did an extremely convincing impersonation of the singer.
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WORD ORIGIN
early 17th cent. (in the sense personify ): from in- into + Latin persona person, on the pattern of incorporate .