dumb show

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noun

a part of a dramatic representation given in pantomime, common in early English drama.

gestures without speech.

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Origin of dumb show

First recorded in 1555–65

OTHER WORDS FROM dumb show

dumb-show, adjective

Words nearby dumb show

dumbhead, dumbledore, dumbo, dumb sheave, dumbshit, dumb show, dumbstruck, dumbwaiter, dumdum, dumela, Dumézil

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use dumb show in a sentence

Policemen on the show joke about prison riots, bomb threats, and the shooting of unarmed civilians.
'Babylon' Review: The Dumb Lives of Trigger-Happy Cops|Melissa Leon|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
As soon as this attack [happened], Paris citizens came together to show were are not afraid, we are Charlie Hebdo.
France Kills Charlie Hebdo Murderers|Nico Hines|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And they might not have to wait that long to show their political heft.
Asian-Americans Are The New Florida|Tim Mak|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Not actual CIA agents, but U.S. government personnel who have worked very closely with the CIA, and who are fans of the show.
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS|Marlow Stern|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Earlier this week, Huckabee ended his Fox News talk show so he could spend time mulling another bid for the Republican nomination.
Huckabee 2016: Bend Over and Take It Like a Prisoner!|Olivia Nuzzi|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
None other would dare to show herself unveiled to a stranger, and a white man at that.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
The sound of my step shall make your heart jump; a look from me shall make you dumb for an hour.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
I shall show how it is possible thus to prolong life to the term set by God.
The Mediaeval Mind (Volume II of II)|Henry Osborn Taylor
Not only do children thus of themselves extend the scope of our commands, they show a disposition to make rules for themselves.
Children's Ways|James Sully
He called upon the Order to show their title-deeds, but was met with a contemptuous refusal.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman

British Dictionary definitions for dumb show

dumb show

noun

a part of a play acted in pantomime, popular in early English drama

meaningful gestures; mime

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012