[syn: mime, pantomime]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Pantomime \Pan"to*mime\, a.
Representing only in mute actions; pantomimic; as, a
pantomime dance.
[1913 Webster] Pantomimic
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Pantomime \Pan"to*mime\, n. [F., fr. L. pantomimus, Gr. ?, lit.,
all-imitating; pa^s, panto`s, all + ? to imitate: cf. It.
pantomimo. See Mimic.]
1. A universal mimic; an actor who assumes many parts; also,
any actor. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
2. One who acts his part by gesticulation or dumb show only,
without speaking; a pantomimist; a mime.
[1913 Webster]
[He] saw a pantomime perform so well that he could
follow the performance from the action alone.
--Tylor.
[1913 Webster]
3. A dramatic representation by actors who use only dumb
show; a depiction of an event, narrative, or situation
using only gestures and bodily movements, without
speaking; hence, dumb show, generally.
[1913 Webster +PJC]
4. A dramatic and spectacular entertainment of which dumb
acting as well as burlesque dialogue, music, and dancing
by Clown, Harlequin, etc., are features.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
pantomime
n 1: a performance using gestures and body movements without
words [syn: mime, pantomime, dumb show]
v 1: act out without words but with gestures and bodily
movements only; "The acting students mimed eating an apple"
[syn: mime, pantomime]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
218 Moby Thesaurus words for "pantomime":
Grand Guignol, Passion play, Roscius, Tom show, act, act a part,
act as, act as foil, act out, acting, actor, actress, antagonist,
antimasque, ape, aping, appear, audience success, bad guy, ballet,
barnstorm, barnstormer, bearing, beck, beckon, body language, bomb,
broadcast drama, burlesque show, carriage, character,
character actor, character man, character woman, characterization,
charade, child actor, chironomy, cliff hanger, closet drama,
come out, comedy drama, copy, critical success, dactylology,
daytime serial, deaf-and-dumb alphabet, dialogue, diseur, diseuse,
do, documentary drama, drama, dramalogue, dramatic play,
dramatic series, dramatizer, dumb show, duodrama, duologue,
embodiment, emote, emotionalize, enact, enacting, enactment,
epic theater, experimental theater, extravaganza, failure, feeder,
flop, foil, gasser, gesticulate, gesticulation, gesture,
gesture language, get top billing, giveaway, hand signal,
happening, heavy, histrio, histrion, hit, hit show, imitation,
impersonate, impersonation, improvisational drama, incarnation,
ingenue, juvenile, kinesics, legitimate drama, masque, masquerade,
masquerade as, matinee idol, melodrama, mime, mimer, mimesis,
mimic, mimicking, mimicry, miming, minstrel show, miracle,
miracle play, monodrama, monologist, monologue, morality,
morality play, motion, motion to, movement, mummer, music drama,
musical revue, mystery, mystery play, opera, pageant, panel show,
pantomiming, pantomimist, pass for, pastoral, pastoral drama,
patter, perform, performance, performing, personate, personation,
personification, piece, play, play a part, play the lead, playact,
playactor, player, playing, playlet, poise, portrayal, pose,
pose as, posing, posture, pretend to be, problem play,
protean actor, psychodrama, quiz show, radio drama, reciter,
register, review, revue, saw the air, sensational play, serial,
show, shrug, shrug the shoulders, sign language, sitcom,
situation comedy, sketch, skit, soap, soap opera, sociodrama,
soubrette, spectacle, stage performer, stage play, stage player,
stage show, stance, star, steal the show, stooge, straight drama,
straight man, stroller, strolling player, success, suspense drama,
tableau, tableau vivant, take off, talk show, teleplay,
television drama, television play, theater of cruelty, theatrical,
thespian, total theater, tread the boards, troupe, trouper,
upstage, utility man, variety show, vaudeville, vaudeville show,
vehicle, villain, wave the arms, word-of-mouth success, work
The Devil's Dictionary (1881-1906):
PANTOMIME, n. A play in which the story is told without violence to
the language. The least disagreeable form of dramatic action.