the art or technique of conveying emotions, actions, feelings, etc., by gestures without speech.
2.
a play or entertainment in which the performers express themselves mutely by gestures, often to the accompaniment of music.
3.
significant gesture without speech.
4.
an actor in dumb show, as in ancient Rome.
5.
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.
Communication by means of gesture and facial expression: Some tourists make themselves understood abroad by pantomime.
The telling of a story without words, by means of bodily movements, gestures, and facial expressions.
A play, dance, or other theatrical performance characterized by such wordless storytelling.
An ancient Roman theatrical performance in which one actor played all the parts by means of gesture and movement, accompanied by a narrative chorus.
A player in such a performance.
A traditional British Christmas entertainment for children, usually based on nursery tales and featuring stock characters in costume who sing, dance, and perform skits.
v.
pan·to·mimed, pan·to·mim·ing, pan·to·mimes
v.
tr.
To represent or express by pantomime: pantomine a story on the stage; pantomimed "baby" by cradling an imaginary infant.
v.
intr.
To express oneself in pantomime.
[Latin pantomīmus, a pantomimic actor, from Greek pantomīmos : panto-, all (from pās, pant-; see pan-) + mīmos, mime.]
pan'to·mim'ic (-mĭm'ĭk) adj., pan'to·mim'ist (-mī'mĭst) n.
1615, "mime actor," from L. pantomimus "mime, dancer," from Gk. pantomimos "actor," lit. "imitator of all," from panto- (gen. of pan) "all" + mimos "imitator." Meaning "drama or play without words" first recorded 1735. The Eng. dramatic performances so called, usually at Christmas and with words and songs and stock characters, are attested by this name from 1739; said to have originated c.1717.
Pan"to*mime\, n. [F., fr. L. pantomimus, Gr. ?, lit., all-imitating; ?, ?, all + ? to imitate: cf. It. pantomimo. See Mimic.]1. A universal mimic; an actor who assumes many parts; also, any actor. [Obs.] 2. One who acts his part by gesticulation or dumb show only, without speaking; a pantomimist. [He] saw a pantomime perform so well that he could follow the performance from the action alone. --Tylor. 3. A dramatic representation by actors who use only dumb show; hence, dumb show, generally. 4. A dramatic and spectacular entertainment of which dumb acting as well as burlesque dialogue, music, and dancing by Clown, Harlequin, etc., are features.
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Audio Help [pan-tuh-mahym] Pronunciation Key noun, verb, -mimed, -mim·ing. 
