Imitator
/ˈɪmɪteɪtər/noun
A person or thing that copies the behavior, style, or appearance of someone or something else.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Latin *imitari*, and its deeper Indo-European root is linked to the idea of “striving after” or “emulating,” which is why imitation has long carried both admiration and suspicion.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*aim-
“to copy, imitate, or strive to match”
Latin
Latin
imitari
“to imitate, copy, or emulate”
Latin
Latin
imitator
“an imitator; one who copies or emulates”
Old French
OF
imitateur
“one who imitates”
Middle English
English
imitatour
“an imitator”
Modern English
English
imitator
“a person or thing that copies another”