dumb show

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

dumb cane, dumb cluck, dumb dora, dumb down, dumb sheave, dumb show, dumb-ass, dumb-cane, dumbarton, dumbarton oaks, dumbbell
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for dumb show

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