mike

plural mikes

1. informalA microphone.

   1970, Theodore Sturgeon and Edward H. Waldo, "The Pod in the Barrier", in A Touch of Strange, Ayer Publishing, →ISBN, page 28, "Then I say to the recording, for the record," I barked, right into the mike, […]

   2 more examples

   1981, John Swaigen, How to Fight for What’s Right: The Guide to Public Interest Law, James Lorimer & Company, →ISBN, pages 118–119, Obviously, one must watch what one says in the vicinity of a microphone. More than one person has made a “private” statement in the presence of an open mike.

   2007, John Sellers, Perfect from Now On: How Indie Rock Saved My Life, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 85, When the haggard bartender informed us that there would be an open-mike event later in the evening, I got my first sense that not everyone in Manchester cared about the music the city has produced.

present singular third person mikes · participle present miking · participle past miked · past miked · alternative mic

1. To microphone; to place one or more microphones (mikes) on.

   2006, Glenn Haertlein, Project Vectus, Lulu, →ISBN, page 108, “Zeb, is everything go on the AV equipment?” I heard Jim ask. ¶ “Yep,” Zeb replied. “I just need to mike him up.” […] “All set,” he said once he clipped the wireless microphone to my shirtfront.

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   1994 September, Jim Gaines, transcribed in Alan di Perna, "Step Lively: Recalling the recording process of SRV’s IN STEP with album producer Jim Gaines", in Guitar World Magazine, reprinted in Guitar World Presents Stevie Ray Vaughan: Stevie Ray In His Own Words, Hal Leonard (1997), →ISBN, page 81, “And sometimes I’d just have to mike the room. You could run into some weird phasing problems with the individual mics because the speakers were all reacting differently.”

   1996, J.R. Robinson, quoted in Mark Huntly Parsons, The Drummer’s Studio Survival Guide: How to get the best possible drum tracks on any recording project, Hal Leonard, →ISBN, page 72, He knows me, I know him, and I know how he’s going to mike the drums and what selection of mic’s he's going to use.

2. To measure using a micrometer.

   1983, Tom S. Wilson, How to Rebuild Your Big-block Chevy, HPBooks, →ISBN, page 98, Measure Valve-Stem Diameter—To be positive about it you’ll have to mike the valve stem with a 1-in. micrometer as explained on pages 100 and 101.

plural mikes

1. international standardsAlternative letter-case form of Mike from the NATO/ICAO Phonetic Alphabet.
2. slanggovernmentA minute.

   We'll be there in one zero mikes [i.e. ten minutes].

plural mikes

1. abbreviationclippingslangClipping of microgram.

   The beginner's dose may be anywhere from 100 to 250 mikes — micrograms, or millionths of a gram. Most hardened heads need 600 to 800 mikes, and some as many as 1,400 mikes, before they experience any sensation of getting off.

   1970, Milton Travers, Each Other's Victims, page 43

1. World War II; joint US/RAF; World War II; joint US/RAFA radiotelephony clear-code word for the letter M.

plural Mikes

1. slangAn Irishman, especially a labourer.

   Gott strafe the roll-call, hurrah for the 'Mikes,' / Hurrah for the rebel boys that organised the strikes, / For everywhere the roll was called their names they didn't know.

   2006, Lyn Ebenezer, Fron-Goch and the Birth of the IRA, page 126

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   […] very hard work, a holy day — & the boys went on to […] & took the Mikes, so I cd get no helper but Marty — had to set up Punch & Judy show — & when I proposed to decorate tree heard it was still in the woods! However John Rourke appeared & dug up a small silver, to be planted again […]

   quoted in 1996, Lady Gregory, James Pethica, Lady Gregory's Diaries, 1892-1902 (page 200)

   Synonyms: mick

plural Mikes

1. countableuncountableA diminutive of the male given name Michael.

   West Virginia Democratic Party Chair Mike Pushkin was not impressed with the executive orders, calling them a “troubling example” of executive overreach that “could harm us for generations.”

   2025 January 14, Leah Willingham, “West Virginia governor axes DEI and enacts vaccine exemptions on first full day in office”, in AP News, archived from the original on 07 Apr 2025

2. countableuncountableA diminutive of the female given name Michaela.