pantomime

[ pan-tuh-mahym ]

/ ˈpæn təˌmaɪm /

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See synonyms for: pantomime / pantomimed / pantomiming on Thesaurus.com

noun

the art or technique of conveying emotions, actions, feelings, etc., by gestures without speech.

a play or entertainment in which the performers express themselves mutely by gestures, often to the accompaniment of music.

significant gesture without speech.

an actor in dumb show, as in ancient Rome.

Also called Christmas pantomime. a form of theatrical spectacle common in England during the Christmas season, generally adapted from a fairy tale and including stock character types who perform songs and dances, tell jokes, etc.

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

to represent or express in pantomime.

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

to express oneself in pantomime.

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Origin of pantomime

1580–90; earlier pantomimus<Latin <Greek pantómīmos.See panto-, mime

OTHER WORDS FROM pantomime

pan·to·mim·ic

[pan-tuh-mim-ik], /ˌpæn təˈmɪm ɪk/, pan·to·mim·i·cal, adjectivepan·to·mim·i·cal·ly, adverbpan·to·mim·ic·ry, noun

Words nearby pantomime

pant leg, panto, pantofle, pantograph, pantology, pantomime, pantomimist, pantomogram, pantonal, pantonality, pantoprazole sodium

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use pantomime in a sentence

The death is real, and yet the movements seem like a pantomime, awkward and inadequate.
The first murder|Katie McLean|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Sharp did lots of school plays, which led to a role in amateur operetta, then professional pantomime.
The Brit Who Stormed Broadway|Tim Teeman|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So I watched him pantomime skating, and I thought well if he can do it, I can do it.
Emmys 2013: Julie Bowen’s Favorite ‘Modern Family’ Moments (VIDEO)|Julie Bowen|September 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST
A pantomime horse plays a role, as does a sardonic hand puppet.
‘Family Tree’ Brings Christopher Guest’s Mockumentary Style to HBO|Jace Lacob|May 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST

“Grimaldi was pantomime,” writes Andrew McConnell Scott in his biography, The Pantomime Life of Joseph Grimaldi.
The Best of Brit Lit|Peter Stothard|February 24, 2010|DAILY BEAST
In dramatic interpretation the voice is a much more significant feature relatively than is the detail of gesture in pantomime.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
She tried a pantomime of washing her hands, but to the boy she had appeared to be merely wringing them.
The Amazing Interlude|Mary Roberts Rinehart
The professional and amateur stage rights on this pantomime are strictly reserved by the author.
Fifty Contemporary One-Act Plays|Various
The description of the stroke dealt by Mr. Adams's wife did not account for this peculiar feature in Bartow's pantomime.
The Circular Study|Anna Katharine Green
The English excel in pantomime as much as the French in comedy.
Travels through the South of France and the Interior of Provinces of Provence and Languedoc in the Years 1807 and 1808|Lt-Col. Pinkney

British Dictionary definitions for pantomime

pantomime

/ (ˈpæntəˌmaɪm) /

noun

(in Britain)

a kind of play performed at Christmas time characterized by farce, music, lavish sets, stock roles, and topical jokesSometimes shortened to: panto
(as modifier)a pantomime horse

a theatrical entertainment in which words are replaced by gestures and bodily actions

action without words as a means of expression

(in ancient Rome) an actor in a dumb show

informal, mainly British a confused or farcical situation

verb

another word for mime (def. 5)

Derived forms of pantomime

pantomimic (ˌpæntəˈmɪmɪk), adjectivepantomimist (ˈpæntəˌmaɪmɪst), noun

Word Origin for pantomime

C17: via Latin from Greek pantomīmos; see panto-, 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

pantomime

noun

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

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

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Origin of pantomime

OTHER WORDS FROM pantomime

Words nearby pantomime

Words related to pantomime

How to use pantomime in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pantomime

noun

verb

Derived forms of pantomime

Word Origin for pantomime