*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of mic

Clipping of microphone. Attested since 1961.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

Alternative form of mike (“microphone”).

verb

Alternative form of mike.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of microphone. Attested since 1961.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "microphone"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of microphone"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "microphone",
      "microphone#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of mike (“microphone”)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ],
      "recordId": "af19338323ae37e2e819dddf46630869f2de7af73e527cf9a5afc020d5e567f0",
      "rawRecordSha256": "2b424683c7931fa8c3d5c8a011afd20700a8f0264bcbb0242a68e5a562c38aa3",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 367530
    },
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of mike."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ],
      "recordId": "c570a8a6e473bb943b488b4890755c3a497150cb03ac0e180992b5b8dab3d528",
      "rawRecordSha256": "3a76ceb1d03c9c4e491c3baad00ae902d623cab29cd30f63a3307a19a0114c82",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 367531
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A microfarad.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of microfarad.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "microfarad"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of microfarad"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "microfarad",
      "microfarad#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A microfarad."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "b3ff8dbdf0a6c4119eac87ce6761e10613dd2134100ff476b600e10bf42e220d",
      "rawRecordSha256": "ace7eef042a483afe07d41387b9a52fc857bab1218a24d6c695f81a1fa9a751e",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 367532
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for mic →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-bWlj