Definition of "imprinting" []

• A rapid learning process by which a newborn or very young animal establishes a behavior pattern of recognition and attraction to another animal of its own kind or to a substitute or an object identified as the parent. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Our culture, its social imprinting, is so strong as to be almost indelible."
• "I think the whole ick factor with the imprinting is that although nothing is going on now, Jacob is still thinking long term and looking at Reneesme as his future wife."
• "Speaking of Neons, Chrysler has succeeding in imprinting that "Born to be Alive" song into my brain, but why are they pretending the "Dodge SX 2.0" is something other than a Neon with a different grille?"