pantomime

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   in Britain, a comic musical stage show based on a traditional story and performed especially around Christmas

   The local theater staged a pantomime of Cinderella for the holiday season.

2. 2
   noun

   the expression of an action, idea, or emotion through gestures and bodily movement without speech

   Through pantomime, the actor made it clear that the imaginary box was extremely heavy.

3. 3
   verb

   to act out or communicate something using gestures rather than words

   She had to pantomime opening a bottle across the noisy room.

Through Latin pantomimus from Greek pantomimos, 'imitator of all,' formed from panto- ('all') + mimos ('mime or imitator'). It first referred to a performer who conveyed a whole story by movement. The distinctively British comic Christmas show developed from later European theatrical traditions.

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