mock (v.)

mid-15c., mokken, "make fun of," also "to trick, delude, make a fool of; treat with scorn, treat derisively or contemptuously;" from Old French mocquer "deride, jeer," a word of unknown origin. Perhaps from Vulgar Latin *muccare "to blow the nose" (as a derisive gesture), from Latin mucus; or possibly from Middle Dutch mocken "to mumble" or Middle Low German mucken "grumble." Perhaps ultimately it is imitative of such speech. Related: Mocked; mocking. Replaced Old English bysmerian. The sense of "imitate, simulate, resemble closely" (1590s, as in mockingbird ; also see mock (adj.)) is from the notion of derisive imitation.

prefixed to a noun, "feigned, counterfeit, spurious; having a close (but deceptive) resemblance," 1540s, from mock, verb and noun. Mock-heroic "counterfeiting or burlesquing the heroic style or character" is attested from 1711 (Addison), describing a satirical use of a serious form; mock-turtle "calf's head stewed or baked and dressed to resemble a turtle," is from 1763; as a kind of soup from 1783.

early 15c., mokke, "derisive action or speech;" late 15c. (Caxton) "that which one derides or mocks;" from mock (v.).