meme
    n 1: a cultural unit (an idea or value or pattern of behavior)
         that is passed from one person to another by non-genetic
         means (as by imitation); "memes are the cultural
         counterpart of genes"

meme
 /meem/, n.

    [coined by analogy with ?gene?, by Richard Dawkins] An idea considered as a
    replicator, esp. with the connotation that memes parasitize people into
    propagating them much as viruses do. Used esp. in the phrase meme complex
    denoting a group of mutually supporting memes that form an organized belief
    system, such as a religion. This lexicon is an (epidemiological) vector of
    the ?hacker subculture? meme complex; each entry might be considered a
    meme. However, meme is often misused to mean meme complex. Use of the term
    connotes acceptance of the idea that in humans (and presumably other tool-
    and language-using sophonts) cultural evolution by selection of adaptive
    ideas has superseded biological evolution by selection of hereditary
    traits. Hackers find this idea congenial for tolerably obvious reasons.

meme

    /meem/ [By analogy with "gene"] Richard Dawkins's
   term for an idea considered as a replicator, especially with
   the connotation that memes parasitise people into propagating
   them much as viruses do.

   Memes can be considered the unit of cultural evolution.  Ideas
   can evolve in a way analogous to biological evolution.  Some
   ideas survive better than others; ideas can mutate through,
   for example, misunderstandings; and two ideas can recombine to
   produce a new idea involving elements of each parent idea.

   The term is used especially in the phrase "meme complex"
   denoting a group of mutually supporting memes that form an
   organised belief system, such as a religion.  However, "meme"
   is often misused to mean "meme complex".

   Use of the term connotes acceptance of the idea that in humans
   (and presumably other tool- and language-using sophonts)
   cultural evolution by selection of adaptive ideas has become
   more important than biological evolution by selection of
   hereditary traits.  Hackers find this idea congenial for
   tolerably obvious reasons.

   See also memetic algorithm.

   [Jargon File]

   (1996-08-11)