The DICT Development Group

  mnemonic \mnemonic\ n.
     1. Something used to assist the memory, as an easily
        remembered acronym or verse.
        [WordNet 1.5]
  
     2. An abbreviated word that resembles the full word, used so
        as to be easily recognized; as, the CIDE uses ... tags as
        mnemnonics for an italicised word or field.
        [PJC]
  
     Note: In basic organic chemistry class, one may learn the
           mnenomic "Oh my, such good apple pie" to help remember
           the names of the dicarboxylic acids in increasing order
           of length, namely: oxalic, malonic, succinic, glutaric,
           adipic, and pimelic acids. (From L. Fieser's Organic
           Chemistry text).

  Mnemonic \Mne*mon"ic\ (n[-e]*m[o^]n"[i^]k), Mnemonical
  \Mne*mon"ic*al\ (n[-e]*m[o^]n"[i^]*kal), a. [Gr. mnhmoniko`s,
     fr. mnh`mwn mindful, remembering, mnh`mh memory, mna^sqai to
     think on, remember; akin to E. mind.]
     Assisting in memory; helping to remember; as, a mnemonic
     device.
     [1913 Webster]

  mnemonic
      adj 1: of or relating to or involved the practice of aiding the
             memory; "mnemonic device" [syn: mnemonic,
             mnemotechnic, mnemotechnical]
      n 1: a device (such as a rhyme or acronym) used to aid recall

  mnemonic
  
      A word or string which is intended to be easier
     to remember than the thing it stands for.  Most often used in
     "{instruction mnemonic" which are so called because they are
     easier to remember than the binary patterns they stand for.
     Non-printing ASCII characters also have mnemonics like
     NAK, ESC, DEL intended to evoke their meaning on certain
     systems.
  
     (1995-05-11)