Etymology First appears c. 1606, from Latin pantomīmus, from Ancient Greek παντόμιμος (pantómimos), from πᾶς (pâs, “each, all”) + μιμέομαι (miméomai, “to mimic”). The verbal form first appears c. 1768.
1
Archaic A Classical comic actor, especially one who works mainly through gesture and mime.
[He] saw a pantomime perform so well that he could follow the performance from the action alone.1865, Edward Burnett Tylor, Researches into the Early History of Mankind and the Development of Civilization:
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Ancient Rome The drama in ancient Greece and Rome featuring such performers; or (later) any of various kinds of performance modelled on such work.
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UK A traditional theatrical entertainment, originally based on the commedia dell'arte, but later aimed mostly at children and involving physical comedy, topical jokes, call and response, and fairy-tale plots.
With the Stoke supporters jeering Ziv's every subsequent touch, the pantomime atmosphere created by the home crowd reached a crescendo when Ziv was shown a straight red shortly after the break in extraordinary circumstances.2011 October 20, Michael da Silva, “Stoke 3 - 0 Macc Tel-Aviv”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 12 Sep 2015:
Wilson is no stranger to pantoland: “I have fun memories of seeing pantomimes in Australia when I was a kid. They were on at our local Returned and Services League club – my relatives fought in the wars. My mum also said that when I was two, she took me to my first pantomime in Sydney.2025 November 28, Hollie Richardson, “Oh yes he is! Kiefer Sutherland dives into the world of panto”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 02 Dec 2025:
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The act of gesturing without speaking; a dumb-show, a mime.
A staid, steadfast man, whose life for the most part was a telling pantomime of action, and not a tame chapter of sounds.1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “chapter 26”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC:
In pantomime, Chief Joyi would fling his spear and creep along the veld as he narrated the victories and defeats.1994, Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela, London: Abacus, published 2010, page 26:
Etymology First appears c. 1606, from Latin pantomīmus, from Ancient Greek παντόμιμος (pantómimos), from πᾶς (pâs, “each, all”) + μιμέομαι (miméomai, “to mimic”). The verbal form first appears c. 1768.
1
To make (a gesture) without speaking.
I pantomimed steering a car; he understood, and tossed the keys to me.
2
To entertain others by silent gestures or actions.