*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of mike

Alteration of mic, clipping of microphone. Attested since 1927.

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary 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

A microphone.

verb

To microphone; to place one or more microphones (mikes) on. · To measure using a micrometer.

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

Alteration of mic, clipping of microphone. Attested since 1927.

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",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "clipping of microphone"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "mic",
      "mic#English"
    ],
    [
      "microphone",
      "microphone#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A microphone."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ],
      "recordId": "07939373d851e5e7765d9fd8a248d4f8eccebe8df234d7687880847eb3023d58",
      "rawRecordSha256": "bc15e760d10ecf93b238a11fdb797cba4e848cb8190a8013698cb15e6c1c6c07",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 125961
    },
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To microphone; to place one or more microphones (mikes) on.",
        "To measure using a micrometer."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "81945c1626618367481eb5e11b65e8a7851c32ef5035c24ca011f176fd19f47d",
      "rawRecordSha256": "3b2f0aa75bd8dac268438a77a0cca5b5c6c4face65578f52769459f0c9c7e094",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 125962
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

Alternative letter-case form of Mike from the NATO/ICAO Phonetic Alphabet. · A minute.

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

From translingual Mike, representing the letter m, from English Mike.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Derivation mentionMikemul
  • Derivation mentionMikeen
Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "mul",
        "3": "Mike"
      },
      "expansion": "translingual Mike"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "en",
        "3": "Mike"
      },
      "expansion": "English Mike"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "Mike",
      "Mike#Translingual"
    ],
    [
      "Mike",
      "Mike#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative letter-case form of Mike from the NATO/ICAO Phonetic Alphabet.",
        "A minute."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "slang"
      ],
      "recordId": "5ca001b347315fa99aed736e23e3bce98752129af63ee2406a292c7576e4f4a7",
      "rawRecordSha256": "60d723754c0dda028a17c8d18f71173336c1b161a09cbd4773e042f8dd5524cb",
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    }
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "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 mike →

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-bWlrZQ