Mock-up

//ˈmɑkˌʌp// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A scale or full-size model of a design or device which is not fully functional, used for teaching, demonstration, design evaluation, promotion, or other purposes.

    "The second-class accommodation shown in mock-up at last year's Railway Design exhibition in London was open saloon, but there is still nagging concern that the public has expressed a clear preference for compartments."

  2. 2
    full-scale working model of something built for study or testing or display wordnet
  3. 3
    A prototype, usually low-fidelity, such as a paper illustration, screenshot, or simple screen configuration with limited interaction.

    "I knew that the software was a mock up and as such it would require the team at least half an hour to put together the components before I could proceed."

Example

More examples

"The second-class accommodation shown in mock-up at last year's Railway Design exhibition in London was open saloon, but there is still nagging concern that the public has expressed a clear preference for compartments."

Etymology

First use appears c. 1915–1920, deverbal from mock up (verb), by imitation of French maquette.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.