engram

See also: Engram

English

Alternative forms

• engramme

Etymology

Borrowed from German Engramm which was coined by German evolutionary biologist Richard Semon in 1904. First attested in English in 1921 (see quotation below). Ultimately from Ancient Greek ἐν (en, “in”) + γράμμα (grámma, “writing, picture”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛnˌɡɹæm/, /ˈɛŋˌɡɹæm/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Homophone: n-gram

Noun

engram (plural engrams)

1. A postulated physical or biochemical change in neural tissue that represents a memory.
   • 1921 January, Richard Semon, “II (Engraphic Action of Stimuli on the Individual)”, in Louis Simon, transl., The Mneme‎^[2], Cornell University Library, published 2005, page 24:

     I use the word engram to denote this permanent change wrought by a stimulus; the sum of such engrams in an organism may be called its "engram-store," among which must distinguish inherited from acquired engrams.

2. (Scientology) A painful, negative mental image representing a past event.

Translations

postulated change in neural tissue

• Finnish: muistijälki
• German: Engramm n
• Greek: έγγραμμα (el) n (éngramma)
• Spanish: engrama (es) m
• Swedish: minnesspår n

Scientology: negative mental image

• Finnish: engrammi

Anagrams

• German, Magner, Manger, german, manger, ragmen