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panto

1 American  
[pan-toh] / ˈpæn toʊ /

noun

British.
  • pantos
    plural
  1. pantomime.


panto- 2 American  
  1. a combining form synonymous with pan-:

    pantology.


panto 1 British  
/ ˈpæntəʊ /

noun

  1. informal short for pantomime

"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

panto- 2 British  

combining form

  1. all

    pantisocracy

    pantofle

    pantograph

    pantomime

"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

Usage

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-.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of panto1

By shortening

Origin of panto-2

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Alicia describes the panto experience as a "little pressure cooker" as they're up against tight turnarounds and short runs.

From BBC ● Dec. 30, 2025

Last year's panto was the theatre's biggest earner, generating 16% of its annual income.

From BBC ● Dec. 12, 2025

During the interval, one girl puts on her coat, ready to go home and rates the panto 1,000 out of 1,000.

From BBC ● Dec. 12, 2025

He also appeared in the children's show Mr Majeika before retiring from television in 1990, but he continued to appear as a panto dame in Scotland for several more years.

From BBC ● Dec. 12, 2025

"I once was in the chorus in a panto at Hanbridge," she said.

From The Regent by Arnold Bennett

Soon it's all you can hear, But she's always a lady even in panto- mime.

From Time Magazine Archive

The UK Pantomime Association tells us there are about 260 pantos going on across the UK this season.

From BBC ● Dec. 30, 2025

Staged at Christmastime and performed throughout much of the Anglophone world, pantos take classic fairy tales and zhuzh them up with famous guest stars, topical humor and song parodies.

From New York Times ● Dec. 24, 2020

Not to miss out on the Christmas season, some pantos are turning online this season.

From BBC ● Nov. 16, 2020

It ls already too late to save this year’s pantos, which many theaters rely on for essential income.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 30, 2020

For it says thus: Kai poiehson hemas axious genesthai tou prospserein soi deehseis kai hikesias kai thusias anaimaktous huper pantos laou.

From Apology of the Augsburg Confession by Philipp Melanchthon

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