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The act of imitating. Poesy is an art of imitation, . . . that is to say, a representing, counterfeiting, or figuring forth. Sir P. Sidney.

Pertaining to, or employed in, imitation; as, imitational propensities.

The act or process of fixing limits or boundaries; limitation. Gladstone.

State of being illimitable; want of, or freedom from, limitation. Bp. Hall.

The act of limiting; the state or condition of being limited; as, the limitation of his authority was approved by the council. They had no right to mistake the limitation . . . of their own faculties, for an inherent limitation of the possible modes of existence in the universe. J. S. Mill.

Want of limitation; failure to limit.

Loosed from any limitation or condition; uncontrolled; unrestricted; unconditional; as, absolute authority, monarchy, sovereignty, an absolute promise or command; absolute power; an absolute monarch.

ficial show. "An affectation of contempt." Macaulay. Affectation is an awkward and forced imitation of what should be genuine and easy, wanting the beauty that accompanies what is natural what is natural. Locke.

In imitation of; in conformity with; after the manner of; as, to make a thing after a model; a picture after Rubens; the boy takes after his father. To name or call after, to name like and reference to. Our eldest son was named George after his uncle. Goldsmith.

le oil obtained from bitter almonds by maceration and distillation; benzoic aldehyde. -- Imitation oil of bitter almonds, nitrobenzene. -- Almond tree (Bot.), the tree bearing the almond. -- Almond willow (Bot.), a willow which has leaves that are of a light green on both sides; almond-leaved willow (Salix amygdalin…

Made in imitation of antiquity; as, the antique style of Thomson's "Castle of Indolence."

In an apish manner; with servile imitation; foppishly.

One of a sect of ancient Christians, who, in supposed imitation of the first believers, renounced all their possessions.

The application of skill to the production of the beautiful by imitation or design, or an occupation in which skill is so employed, as in painting and sculpture; one of the fine arts; as, he prefers art to literature.

An Axminster carpet, an imitation Turkey carpet, noted for its thick and soft pile; -- so called from Axminster, Eng.

A coarse stuff, usually of cotton, originally made in India. Also, an imitation of this fabric made for export.

Carved and painted work in imitation of Japan ware.

A piece of music composed in imitation of such a song.

An imitation, in pottery, of natural basalt; a kind of black porcelain.

Molding in imitation of beads.