panto

¹

[ pan-toh ]

noun

, British.

, plural pan·tos.

1. pantomime ( def 2 ).

panto-

²

1. a combining form synonymous with pan-:

   pantology.

panto

¹

/ ˈpæntəʊ /

noun

1. See pantomime
   informal.
   short for pantomime

panto-

²

combining_form

1. all

   pantograph

   pantomime

   pantisocracy

   pantofle

Word History and Origins

Origin of panto¹

By shortening

Origin of panto²

Combining form representing Greek pant- (stem of pâs ) all

Word History and Origins

Origin of panto¹

from Greek pant-, pas

Example Sentences

Panto was indeed the mainstay of his business; it was even the warp and woof of his life.

From Project Gutenberg

No: I won't go into panto—not if Frankie goes down on his knees to me.

From Project Gutenberg

Did you know any of the critics when you were down at Slagtown for the Panto?

From Project Gutenberg

I don't grudge letting the rest of the company have their fling at other times—but with the panto comes my turn.

From Project Gutenberg

No, sir; that is a dissolving view, oxy-calcium, panto-sciostereoscopticon.

From Project Gutenberg

Words That Use panto-

What does panto- mean?

Panto- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “all.” It is occasionally used in a variety of scientific and technical terms.

Panto- comes from the Greek pâs, meaning “all.” The equivalent form derived from Latin is omni-, as in omnivore, which comes from Latin omnis, “all.”

What are variants of panto-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, panto- becomes pant-, as in pantalgia. Another common variant of panto- is pan-, as in panhuman.

Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles on pan- and pant-.

Examples of panto-

An example of a word you may have encountered that features panto- is pantomime, “the art or technique of conveying emotions through gestures without speech.” Pantomime comes from the Greek pantómīmos, which uses the equivalent form of panto- in the language.

We know panto- means “all,” so the -mime portion of the word? Mime comes from the Greek mîmos, meaning “imitator.” Pantomime literally translates to “imitator of all.”

What are some words that use the combining form panto-?

• pantogram
• pantograph
• pantology
• pantomimist (using the equivalent form of panto- in Greek)
• pantothenic acid (using the equivalent form of panto- in Greek)
• pantothere (using the equivalent form of panto- in Latin)

What are some other forms that panto- may be commonly confused with?

• partheno-
• penta-
• ptero-

Not every word that begins with the exact letters panto-, such as pantofle, is necessarily using the combining form panto- to denote “all.” Learn why pantofle means “slipper” at our entry for the word.

Break it down!

The combining form -logy is used to denote areas of study, like biology or anthropology. With this in mind, what is pantology?