ĭmĭtātĭo (noun F) : id.
* Imitation (class.; cf. aemulatio).
* In gen.: imitatio virtutis aemulatio dicitur,Cic. Tusc. 4, 8, 17; cf. Quint. 1, 2, 26: excellentium civium virtus imitatione digna,Cic. Phil. 14, 6, 17: imitatione tantam ingenii praestantiam consequi,id. Off. 3, 1, 1: ut ad imitationem sui vocet alios,id. Rep. 2, 42: periculosa exempli,id. Fl. 11, 24: antiquitatis,Quint. 11, 3, 10: nostrorum dictorum factorumque,id. 9, 2, 59: fori consiliorumque,id. 2, 4, 41 al.: in omni re vincit imitationem veritas,Cic. de Or. 3, 57, 215: nihil ostentationis aut imitationis afferre,id. 3, 12, 45: longe difficillima est imitationis imitatio,the copying of a copy,Plin. Ep. 4, 28, 3: certatim haec omnis imitatio lacessivit, ut, etc.,Macr. S. 7, 13, 11.
* The faculty of imitation: ingenii signum in parvis praecipuum memoria est: ... proximum imitatio,Quint. 1, 3, 1.
* In rhet. lang.
* Imitation of an orator: imitatio est, in qua impellimur cum diligenti ratione, ut aliquorum similes in dicendo velimus esse,Auct. Her. 1, 2, 3; cf. Cic. de Or. 2, 22 sq.; Quint. 10, 2.
* Imitation of a natural sound, onomatopoeia, Auct. Her. 4, 31, 42.

s. TLL