From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishimitationim‧i‧ta‧tion /ˌɪmɪˈteɪʃən◂/ ●●○ noun 1 [countable, uncountable]IMITATE when you copy someone else’s actionsby imitation Many people think that children learn language by imitation. The remake of ‘Casablanca’ was a pale imitation (=something that is much less good than the thing it imitates) of the original movie.2 [countable] when you copy the way someone speaks or behaves, especially in order to be funny SYN impression She acted, she danced, she did imitations.imitation of his imitation of an American accent3 [countable]COPY a copy of somethingimitation of She wore an imitation of a sailor’s hat.imitation fur/pearls/silk/leather etc (=something that looks like an expensive material but is a copy of it) an imitation fur coat► see thesaurus at artificial, false
Examples from the Corpus
imitation• Nor was the dambusters plus aeroplane imitations one performed, or the runway for ice.• Everything else is a cheap imitation.• The necklace was a cheap imitation, but she was obviously very proud of it.• An earthen mound forms an even more direct imitation.• Rival troupes gave so many imitations that its inventor was forgotten.• These forms of imitation are not surprising.• Three generations of imitation so doggedly faithful that it defied credibility.• But this imitation of well-established exemplars is another mark of the psychotic rather than the genuine mystic.• Children learn through imitation.• A white imitation of black grief.pale imitation• It had been a pale imitation.• These, however, are but a pale imitation of the History file.• These programs are still only a pale imitation of the original human operators, however.• But this time round, they're pathetic, pale imitations of the planet destroyers that went before.• To its critics, it became a mild tabloid and a very pale imitation of what was originally intended.did imitations• He also did imitations - Churchill a piècederésistance.• Wits on the Salomon trading floor did imitations of Mortara.• He did imitations of different accents-Navaho, black, New York.• She acted, she danced, she did imitations.imitation fur/pearls/silk/leather etc• As he fumbled for another dime, a black girl in an imitation leather overcoat walked by the booth.• Some one else pulled her necklace, and imitation pearls spread underfoot.• Not poor-quality editions in imitation leather.• Nora chose a blue cotton dress with lots of tiny buttons covered in maroon imitation silk.• Better no pearls than imitation pearls.• Patsy and Betsy were in their best Sunday frocks, short-skirted, Patsy wearing imitation silk stockings and Betsy white socks. 