IMITATION

noun the act of imitating.

2. imitation ·noun the act of condition of imitating another species of animal, or a plant, or unanimate object. ·see imitate, ·vt, 3.

3. imitation ·noun that which is made or produced as a copy; that which is made to resemble something else, whether for laudable or for fraudulent purposes; likeness; resemblance.

4. imitation ·noun one of the principal means of securing unity and consistency in polyphonic composition; the repetition of essentially the same melodic theme, phrase, or motive, on different degrees of pitch, by one or more of the other parts of voises. ·cf. canon.