Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
noun
A person who dons a disguising costume, as for a parade or a festival.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
An actor in a pantomime; one who communicates entirely through gesture and facial expression.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: mime
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Synonym of mum (“to act in pantomime or dumb show”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: mum
Antonyms: none provided
noun
an actor who communicates entirely by gesture and facial expression
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: mime, mimer, pantomimer, pantomimist
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: actor, histrion, player, thespian, role player
Narrower terms: Marceau, Marcel Marceau
History
From Middle English mummer, mommer, equivalent to mum + -er, perhaps conflating with Old French momeor (“jester, entertainer”), from mommer (“to wear a mask”), from momon (“mask”). Compare German Mumme (“mask”), 16th Century German mummen (“to disguise oneself”), Middle Dutch mommen, mummen (“to go about in a mask, to disguise”), Middle Low Saxon mommen (“to wear a mask, to disguise”), Dutch mom (“mask”) and mimmen (“to mask”) as well as Spanish momo (“grimace”). Perhaps both of the conflated terms are from the same ultimate root, as note Middle Low Saxon mummen (“to speak indistinctly, to disguise oneself”), Dutch mommen (“to speak indistinctly”), German mummen (“to speak indistinctly”), English mump (“to grimace, mumble”).
Across languages
16 source translations are retained for this English entry.
