mnemonic

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Late Latin mnemonicus or its etymon Ancient Greek μνημονῐκός (mnēmonikós, “pertaining to memory or remembrance, memorial”) + English -ic (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives). Mνημονῐκός (Mnēmonikós) is derived from μνήμων (mnḗmōn, “mindful, remembering”) + -ῐκός (-ikós, suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives); while μνήμων (mnḗmōn) is from μνάομαι (mnáomai, “to be mindful, remember”) (from Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to mind; to think”)) + -μων (-mōn, suffix forming adjectives and agent nouns). cognates * French mnémonique (adjective) * German mnemonisch * Italian mnemonico * Portuguese mnemónica

adj

1. Especially of a series of ideas, letters, words, etc.: intended to help in remembering.
2. Of or relating to mnemonics (“the study of techniques for remembering anything more easily”).
3. Of or relating to memory.

Etymology 2

Noun sense 1 (“something used to help in remembering a thing”) is borrowed from Latin mnēmonicum (“something used to help in remembering a thing”), from Ancient Greek μνημονικόν (mnēmonikón, “something used to help in remembering a thing”), a noun use of the neuter form of μνημονῐκός (mnēmonikós, adjective): see etymology 1. Noun sense 3 (“synonym of mnemonics”) is borrowed from Late Latin mnemonica, a noun use of the feminine form of mnemonicus: see etymology 1. cognates * French mnémonique (noun) * German Mnemonik * Italian mnemonica * Portuguese mnemónico

noun

1. Something (especially a series of ideas, letters, words, etc.) used to help in remembering a thing; a memory aid.
   Mr Avery was a great believer in mnemonics; he had one for every possible aspect of flying – which was as good a way as any for student pilots to familiarise themselves with their new environment, but unless used on a daily basis could also be dangerous, for there were so many of them. 2003, Alex Kimbell, chapter 3, in The Unbridgeable Divide: A Love Story, Market Harborough, Leicestershire: Matador, section I, page 54
2. (computing) The human-readable, textual form of an assembly language instruction, not including operands.
3. (obsolete) Synonym of mnemonics (“the study of techniques for remembering anything more easily”)