mic
mic Lexical Profile
mic Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An informal shortening of microphone; an instrument that converts sound waves into electrical energy for amplification, broadcasting, or recording.
"The lead singer adjusted the height of the mic before addressing the audience."
• verb
To equip a person, musical instrument, or stage with a microphone in order to amplify or record sound.
"The sound technician carefully miked the acoustic guitar and the drum kit before the rehearsal began."
Word Nuance & Usage
Spelled "mic" or "mike" for the noun, though "mic" has become the standard spelling in modern audio engineering and broadcasting; when inflected as a verb, both "miked" and "mic'd" are common to preserve the hard /k/ sound and avoid confusion with the verb "mice".
• Rhymes for mic
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Emerged in the 1920s as an informal clipped form of "microphone", which itself combines the Ancient Greek elements "mikros" (small) and "phone" (voice or sound).