Internet meme
Joke or video that spreads online with edits.
Meaning
Internet meme names jokes, rumors, videos and web content passed from person to person online. It often spreads in its original form, but user edits and derivatives are the defining trait. The register is casual and used mainly by forum, social media and video users.
Origin
It renders the English term Internet meme in Japanese katakana with a middle dot. It reportedly spread on 1990s bulletin boards and became established in Japan in the 2000s through 2channel and Niconico. The exact first use is unknown and disputed. It is a general label, not from one video or account.
How it's used
People use it to label a spreading joke or to say a picture became memefied. It is used in media talk and daily chat when reposts grow. Grammatically it acts as a noun and does not inflect.
Example
That image became a meme again and spread fast.
Variants & related
Spellings include netto mimu and the short form mimu. Related terms are buzz, copy-paste and ASCII art. The opposite is original or source material kept without edits.
Common misunderstandings
Outsiders often assume it credits one author or one source video, which is wrong. It is also confused with the biological meme theory and sometimes used formally when it is casual and ironic.