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Mime Common

Mime has 7 different meanings across 3 categories:

Noun · Verb · Proper Noun

Definitions
Noun
1

an actor who communicates entirely by gesture and facial expression

"The talented mime entertained the crowd without uttering a single word, using only his expressive face and fluid gestures to tell a story."

2

a performance using gestures and body movements without words

"The street performer captivated the crowd by telling an entire story through silent mime."

3

A form of acting without words; pantomime.

"The street performer used his expressive body movements to mime a clumsy dancer, eliciting laughter from the crowd."

In plain English: A mime is an actor who tells stories using only body movements and facial expressions without speaking.

"The street performer made everyone laugh with his funny mime act in the park square."

Usage: Use this noun to describe an actor who performs silent storytelling through gestures and facial expressions, rather than referring to the act itself or someone pretending not to hear something. It is often confused with "pantomime," which can refer either to a specific theatrical genre involving audience interaction or simply as another term for wordless acting.

Verb
1

imitate (a person or manner), especially for satirical effect

"The actor mimicked the President very accurately"

2

act out without words but with gestures and bodily movements only

"The acting students mimed eating an apple"

3

To mimic.

"The comedian used his body to mime opening a door without actually moving towards it."

Proper Noun
1

Acronym of Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions, (an Internet standard that extends the formatting and content capabilities of email)

"The IT administrator updated all outgoing messages to comply with the new MIME standards."

Example Sentences
"The street performer made everyone laugh with his funny mime act in the park square." noun
"The street performer began his mime routine by pretending to push against an invisible wall." noun
"She decided to quit her office job and pursue a career in mime after years of practice." noun
"During the play, the actor used subtle hand gestures as part of his mime technique." noun
See Also
mimic classical erato entertainment performer ballet body language mimester
Related Terms
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
actor acting imitate act
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
panto

Origin

The word "mime" most likely entered English recently as a loanword from French to describe an actor who performs without speech by using gestures and facial expressions. While it shares ancient roots with Greek words for imitators, its modern usage traces directly back to that 19th-century borrowing rather than the earlier Old English term for a jester.

Rhyming Words
ime rime time hime dime lime aime ojime ehime crime anime stime slime chime prime grime clime jaime spime paime
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