pantomime

 
Pronunciation: /ˈpantəmʌɪm/

noun

  • 1British a theatrical entertainment, mainly for children, which involves music, topical jokes, and slapstick comedy and is based on a fairy tale or nursery story, usually produced around Christmas: [as modifier]: a pantomime villain [mass noun]: he is currently appearing in pantomime in Manchester
  • 2a dramatic entertainment, originating in Roman mime, in which performers express meaning through gestures accompanied by music.
  • 3an absurdly exaggerated piece of behaviour: he made a pantomime of checking his watch
  • an absurd or confused situation: the drive to town was a pantomime

verb

[with object]
  • express or represent by exaggerated mime: they pantomimed picking up dropped food

Derivatives

pantomimic

Pronunciation: /-ˈmɪmɪk/
adjective

Origin:

late 16th century (first used in the Latin form and denoting an actor using mime): from French pantomime or Latin pantomimus, from Greek pantomimos 'imitator of all' (see panto-, mime)