mime en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /miːm/ (obsolete)
- (Southern-England) audio
- /maɪm/
Etymology
Possibly from Middle English mime, from Old English mīma (“a buffoon, jester, mime”), from Latin mimus, from Ancient Greek μῖμος (mîmos, “imitator, actor”), but more likely re-borrowed in modern times from French mime (“mimic actor”), from the same source.
Meanings
-
(countable, uncountable) A form of acting without words; pantomime.
[Silence] demands returning to the self, to innocence and a portrayal of situations as if all the particulars were completely unknown to the viewer. There are no props but the muscular versatility of the human form. Mime is the one thing that truly proves we can be all things.
1977 April 23, Arlene Silva, “Suzanne Fox's Silent Stories”, in Gay Community News, page 10:
- (countable, uncountable) A pantomime actor.
-
(countable, uncountable) A classical theatrical entertainment in the form of farce.
The mimes were packed with lascivious gestures and movements, and usually presented erotic scenes, on occasion farcically treated.
1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 209:
- (countable, uncountable) A performer of such a farce.
- (countable, uncountable) A person who mimics others in a comical manner.
- (countable, uncountable) Any of various papilionid butterflies of the genus Chilasa or Papilio, that mimic other species in appearance.
- (countable, uncountable) A unit of imitation in the theory of symbiosism.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| mimes | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Relateds
Translations (47)
fi miimikko (pantomime actor) · ca pantomima (pantomime) · fi imitaattori (person who mimics others in a comical manner) · pl pantomimista (pantomime actor) · pl mimik (pantomime actor) · es mimodrama (pantomime) · fr mime (pantomime actor) · fr mime (pantomime) · es mimo (classical theatrical entertainment) · fi pantomiimi (pantomime) · ja マイム (pantomime) · pt mímico (pantomime actor) · sv pantomim (pantomime) · es mímica (pantomime) · grc μῖμος (classical theatrical entertainment) · eo pantomimisto (pantomime actor) · eo pantomimo (pantomime) · bg пантомима (pantomime) · tr mim sanatçısı (pantomime actor) · sv mimare (pantomime actor) · ru пантоми́ма (pantomime) · ca mímica (classical theatrical entertainment) · bn বহুরূপী (pantomime actor) · bg мим (pantomime actor) · it mimo (pantomime actor) · ru мим (pantomime actor) · sv mim (pantomime) · es mimo (performer of such a farce) · th ละครใบ้ (pantomime) · eo mimo (pantomime actor) · cmn 啞劇 /哑剧 (pantomime) · fi pantomiimikko (pantomime actor) · es mimo (pantomime) · es mimo (pantomime actor) · cs pantomima (pantomime) · ko 마임 (pantomime) · pl mim (pantomime actor) · pl pantomimik (pantomime actor) · pl pantomima (pantomime) · it intrattenitore (performer of such a farce) · la mīmus (classical theatrical entertainment) · fi miimikko (performer of such a farce) · pt mímica (pantomime) · fr pantomime (pantomime) · fi mimiikka (classical theatrical entertainment) · cs mim (pantomime actor) · pl mim (performer of such a farce)