imprinting

[ im-prin-ting ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Animal Behavior, Psychology.

rapid learning that occurs during a brief receptive period, typically soon after birth or hatching, and establishes a long-lasting behavioral response to a specific individual or object, as attachment to parent, offspring, or site.

imprinting

/ ɪ��ˈ��ɪ�Գ�ɪŋ /

noun

the development through exceptionally fast learning in young animals of recognition of and attraction to members of their own species or to surrogates

imprinting

A rapid learning process by which a newborn or very young animal establishes a behavior pattern of recognition and attraction towards other animals of its own kind, as well as to specific individuals of its species, such as its parents, or to a substitute for these. Ducklings, for example, will imprint upon and follow the first large moving object they observe. In nature, this is usually their mother, but they can be made to imprint upon other moving objects, such as a soccer ball.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of imprinting¹

1937; imprint + -ing ¹, translation of German �ʰ�ä��ܲԲ�, K. Lorenz's term

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Howe immediately set about imprinting his methods at Newcastle.

From

Thus, fathers have an important, albeit indirect, influence on the genetic imprinting of mitochondria and thereby on the energy metabolism of their children.

From

By studying mice with heart failure, the researchers found evidence of stress imprinting on the epigenome, that is, chemical changes occurred to the mice's DNA.

From

In the case of the flu vaccine, imprinting has negative effects.

From

Photolithography, a process employed in crafting metalenses by imprinting patterns on silicon wafers using light, stands as a step in their fabrication.

From

imprinter imprison

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