Skeuomorph or Skeuomorphism is a term used in the history of architecture, design, and archaeology. It refers to a derivative object which retains ornamental design cues to structure that was necessary in the original. Skeuomorphs may be deliberately employed to make the new look comfortably old and familiar, such as copper cladding on zinc pennies or computer printed postage with circular town name and cancellation lines. The word derives from Greek, skeuos for 'vessel' or 'tool' and morphe for 'shape'.
I have taken this concept and applied in slighty broader way to also include what might be called mimeomorphs, that is objects which take some aspect of the design of one object and apply it in a new context with the hope of borrowing some of the values and associations of the original. The recent spate of iMac lookalikes for example; in nature, Batesian and Mullerian mimics do this too.
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