noun
mike
MYK
noun
1
An informal short form of "microphone".
"She tapped the mike to check it was working."
verb
1
To fit someone or something with a microphone.
"The sound engineer miked up the whole band before the show."
name
1
A common short form of the male name Michael.
"Everyone just calls him Mike."
How to Use Mike
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe everyday word for a microphone, or a common nickname for Michael.
Common mistake
Both "mike" and "mic" are used as informal spellings for microphone; "mike" is more traditional, "mic" more common in print today.
Common pairings
open mike
mike check
mike up
Word Forms
miked past tense, mikes plural, Mikes plural, Mikes plural, mikes singular
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She tapped the _____ to check it was working.
Etymology
A shortening of "mic", itself short for "microphone"; in radio spelling alphabets, "Mike" stands for the letter M.