im·age (ĭm'ĭj)
n.

1. A reproduction of the form of a person or object, especially a sculptured likeness.
2. Physics. An optically formed duplicate, counterpart, or other representative reproduction of an object, especially an optical reproduction formed by a lens or mirror.
3. One that closely or exactly resembles another; a double: He is the image of his uncle.
4. 1. The opinion or concept of something that is held by the public.
   2. The character projected to the public, as by a person or institution, especially as interpreted by the mass media.
5. A personification of something specified: That child is the image of good health.
6. A mental picture of something not real or present.
7. 1. A vivid description or representation.
   2. A figure of speech, especially a metaphor or simile.
   3. A concrete representation, as in art, literature, or music, that is expressive or evocative of something else: night as an image of death.
8. Mathematics. A set of values of a function corresponding to a particular subset of a domain.
9. Computer Science. An exact replica of the contents of a storage device, such as a hard disk, stored on a second storage device, such as a network server.
10. Obsolete. An apparition.

tr.v., -aged, -ag·ing, -ag·es.

1. To make or produce a likeness of: imaged the poet in bronze.
2. To mirror or reflect: a statue imaged in the water.
3. To symbolize or typify: a kneeling woman imaging the nation's grief.
4. To picture mentally; imagine.
5. To describe, especially so vividly as to evoke a mental picture of.
6. Computer Science.
   1. To print (a file) using a laser printer, imagesetter, direct-to-plate press, or similar device.
   2. To transmit (an exact replica of the contents of a storage device) to another storage device: imaged the hard drive to the server.
7. To render visually, as by magnetic resonance imaging.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin imāgō.]

imageless im'age·less adj.
imager im'ag·er n.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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