pantomime: [17] In ancient Rome, a pantomīmus was a ‘mime artist’, a sort of Marcel Marceau performer who acted scenes, incidents, etc without words. The term was adopted from Greek pantómōmos ‘complete imitator’, a compound formed from panto- ‘all’ and mōmos ‘imitator, actor’ (source of English mime). English originally took the word over in this historical sense, and it was not until the early 18th century that it began to be used first for a sort of mime ballet and then for a play without words, relating a popular tale, which gradually developed into the Christmas fairy-tale pantomimes of the 19th and 20th centuries.
The abbreviation panto dates from the mid-19th century. => mime
pantomime (n.)
1610s, "mime actor," from Latin pantomimus "mime, dancer," from Greek pantomimos "actor," literally "imitator of all," from panto- (genitive of pan) "all" (see pan-) + mimos "imitator" (see mime (n.)).
Meaning "drama or play without words" first recorded 1735. The English dramatic performances so called, usually at Christmas and with words and songs and stock characters, are attested by this name from 1739; said to have originated c. 1717. Related: Pantomimic; pantomimical.
pantomime (v.)
1768, from pantomime (n.). Related: Pantomimed; pantomiming.
雙語例句
1. He is currently starring in pantomime in Weston-super-Mare.
他目前正在濱海韋斯頓主演圣誕童話劇。
來自柯林斯例句
2. Pantomime is about bringing laughter to thousands.
圣誕童話劇旨在把歡笑帶給千千萬萬的人。
來自柯林斯例句
3. The audience roared at the pantomime.
觀眾被這場啞劇逗得大笑.
來自《簡明英漢詞典》
4. They were made welcome with the usual pantomime of exaggerated smiles and gestures.
他們受到了一如往常的歡迎，夸張的笑容和姿態如同一場鬧劇。
來自柯林斯例句
5. The rights of every American to good government have been damaged by the pantomime on Capitol Hill.