A "meme" is a unit of cultural information, typically in the form of an image, video, or text, that spreads rapidly from person to person over the internet. Memes often convey humorous or relatable ideas and are usually adapted or modified by different users to create variations that can be shared across social media platforms. They can also reflect social commentary, trends, or inside jokes within a specific community.
The word "meme" was coined by British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book "The Selfish Gene." He derived it from the Greek word "mimeme," which means "that which is imitated." The term was used to describe the way cultural information spreads and evolves similarly to biological genes.