mime

[ mahym, meem ]

/ maɪm, mim /

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See synonyms for mime on Thesaurus.com

noun

the art or technique of portraying a character, mood, idea, or narration by gestures and bodily movements; pantomime.

an actor who specializes in this art.

an ancient Greek or Roman farce that depended for effect largely upon ludicrous actions and gestures.

a player in such a farce.

mimic (def. 4).

a jester, clown, or comedian.

verb (used with object), mimed, mim·ing.

to mimic.

to act in mime.

verb (used without object), mimed, mim·ing.

to play a part by mime or mimicry.

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Origin of mime

1610–20; <Latin mīmus<Greek mîmos imitator, mime, akin to mīmeîsthai to copy, imitate

OTHER WORDS FROM mime

mimer, noun

Words nearby mime

mim, Mimamsa, Mimas, Mimba, mimbar, mime, mimeo, mimeograph, mimesis, mimetic, mimetism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use mime in a sentence

The art of mime has been around in some form for millennia, although when it comes to contemporary depictions in popular culture, mimes seem to be almost universally hated.
What mimes can teach us about visual perception|Jennifer Ouellette|May 20, 2021|Ars Technica
The narrator is 19-year-old Paige Mahoney, a Dreamwalker and the mollisher to Jaxon Hall, the powerful mime-lord of sector I-4.
‘The Bone Season’ Could Be the Next ‘Hunger Games,’ But Is It Any Good?|Leila Sales|August 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Four years from now, I expect to see the presidential debates conducted entirely in mime.
The Flapdoodle Campaign|Megan McArdle|October 23, 2012|DAILY BEAST
I do this thing where I hold my breath and turn my face red right before I run across stage to mime throwing up in the trash can.
Pablo Schreiber on His New Off-Broadway Play|Kevin Sessums|February 1, 2011|DAILY BEAST

I call him mime advisedly, because he played his part by action more than speaking.
The Memoirs of Count Carlo Gozzi; Volume the first|Count Carlo Gozzi
Thus, the mime itself is the original form of the drama, which now takes its place beside the epic as a new form of poetry.
Elements of Folk Psychology|Wilhelm Wundt
He gains the sacred hearth, converses with Mime, and finally bets him his head that he cannot answer three questions.
Richard Wagner|John F. Runciman
Meantime Mime, working on, brews his poisonous broth, muttering to himself about his purpose.
Richard Wagner|John F. Runciman
Mime and he dispute angrily: Siegfried is about to slay the dragon, the "Wurm," and the question is who is to have the gold.
Richard Wagner|John F. Runciman

British Dictionary definitions for mime (1 of 2)

mime

/ (maɪm) /

noun

the theatrical technique of expressing an idea or mood or portraying a character entirely by gesture and bodily movement without the use of words

Also called: mime artist a performer specializing in such a technique, esp a comic actor

a dramatic presentation using such a technique

(in the classical theatre)

a comic performance depending for effect largely on exaggerated gesture and physical action
an actor in such a performance

verb

to express (an idea) in actions or gestures without speech

(of singers or musicians) to perform as if singing (a song) or playing (a piece of music) that is actually prerecorded

Derived forms of mime

mimer, noun

Word Origin for mime

Old English mīma, from Latin mīmus mimic actor, from Greek mimos imitator

British Dictionary definitions for mime (2 of 2)

MIME

/ computing /

abbreviation for

multipurpose internet mail extensions

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

mime

Origin of mime

OTHER WORDS FROM mime

Words nearby mime

Words related to mime

How to use mime in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mime (1 of 2)

Derived forms of mime

Word Origin for mime

British Dictionary definitions for mime (2 of 2)