mnemonic

[ni-mon-ik] /nɪˈmɒn ɪk/
adjective
1.
assisting or intended to assist the memory.
2.
pertaining to mnemonics or to memory.
noun
3.
something intended to assist the memory, as a verse or formula.
4.
Computers. a programming code that is easy to remember, as STO for “store.”.
Origin
1745-55; < Greek mnēmonikós of, relating to memory, equivalent to mnēmon- (stem of mnḗmōn) mindful + -ikos -ic
Related forms
mnemonically, adverb
Can be confused
mnemonic, pneumonic.
Examples from the web for mnemonic
  • He was able to beef up his memory by learning mnemonic techniques.
  • For many people of a certain age, the sound of classic swing music is the mnemonic key to the past.
  • We used a mnemonic method called the "body list" in which you associate images with parts of your body.
  • She started counting on her fingers, trying to remember the mnemonic her son had learned in school years ago.
  • Another good mnemonic for homophones.
  • Television at first maintained radio's requirement for mnemonic, musical pithiness.
  • Using a system of mnemonic devices, goofy hand signals and a talent for numbers, the team has devised a way to beat the bank.
  • While it's fine to use science songs as mnemonic devices, physicist Smith said they serve other purposes.
  • Music also can provide a powerful mnemonic link to a brand.
  • Instead of simply serving as a mnemonic link to a company or product, domain names can serve a range of functions.
British Dictionary definitions for mnemonic

mnemonic

/nɪˈmɒnɪk/
adjective
1.
aiding or meant to aid one's memory
2.
of or relating to memory or mnemonics
noun
3.
something, such as a verse, to assist memory
Derived Forms
mnemonically, adverb
Word Origin
C18: from Greek mnēmonikos, from mnēmōn mindful, from mnasthai to remember
Word Origin and History for mnemonic
adj.

"aiding the memory," 1753, back-formation from mnemonics, or from Greek mnemonikos "of or pertaining to memory," from mnemon (genitive mnemonos) "remembering, mindful," from memne "memory, a remembrance, record, an epitaph; memory as a mental faculty," from base of mnasthai "remember," from PIE root *men- "to think" (see mind (n.)). The noun meaning "mnemonic device" is from 1858. Related: Mnemonical (1660s).

mnemonic in Medicine

mnemonic mne·mon·ic (nĭ-mŏn'ĭk)
adj.
Relating to, assisting, or intended to assist the memory. n.
A device, such as a formula or rhyme, used as an aid in remembering.

mne·mon'i·cal·ly adv.
mnemonic in Technology

programming
A word or string which is intended to be easier to remember than the thing it stands for. Most often used in "instruction mnemonic" which are so called because they are easier to remember than the binary patterns they stand for. Non-printing ASCII characters also have mnemonics like NAK, ESC, DEL intended to evoke their meaning on certain systems.
(1995-05-11)

Encyclopedia Article for mnemonic

any device for aiding the memory. Named for Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory in Greek mythology, mnemonics are also called memoria technica. The principle is to create in the mind an artificial structure that incorporates unfamiliar ideas or, especially, a series of dissociated ideas that by themselves are difficult to remember. Ideally, the structure is designed so that its parts are mutually suggestive. Grouping items in rhymed verse has long been a popular mnemonic technique, from the "gender rhymes" of the Latin grammars to the verse for remembering the number of days in the months ("Thirty days hath September, April, June and November").

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