MIME

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does mime mean? 

• MIME (noun)
  The noun MIME has 2 senses:

1. an actor who communicates entirely by gesture and facial expression

2. a performance using gestures and body movements without words

  Familiarity information: MIME used as a noun is rare.

• MIME (verb)
  The verb MIME has 2 senses:

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

2. act out without words but with gestures and bodily movements only

  Familiarity information: MIME used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MIME (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An actor who communicates entirely by gesture and facial expression

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

mime; mimer; mummer; pantomimer; pantomimist

Hypernyms ("mime" is a kind of...):

actor; histrion; player; role player; thespian (a theatrical performer)

Instance hyponyms:

Marceau; Marcel Marceau (French mime famous for his sad-faced clown (born in 1923))

Derivation:

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

Sense 2

Meaning:

A performance using gestures and body movements without words

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

dumb show; mime; pantomime

Hypernyms ("mime" is a kind of...):

acting; performing; playacting; playing (the performance of a part or role in a drama)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "mime"):

panto (an abbreviation of pantomime)

Derivation:

mime (act out without words but with gestures and bodily movements only)

mimic (constituting an imitation)

• MIME (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they mime    ... he / she / it mimes   
Past simple: mimed   
Past participle: mimed   
-ing form: miming   

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Synonyms:

mime; mimic

Context example:

The actor mimicked the President very accurately

Hypernyms (to "mime" is one way to...):

copy; imitate; simulate (reproduce someone's behavior or looks)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

mime (an actor who communicates entirely by gesture and facial expression)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Act out without words but with gestures and bodily movements only

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Synonyms:

mime; pantomime

Context example:

The acting students mimed eating an apple

Hypernyms (to "mime" is one way to...):

act; play; playact; roleplay (perform on a stage or theater)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

mime (a performance using gestures and body movements without words)

mimer (an actor who communicates entirely by gesture and facial expression)

 Context examples 

Furthermore, simply miming the act of speaking provided sufficient information to the computer for it to recreate several of the same sounds.

(Scientists translate brain signals into speech sounds, National Institutes of Health)

First, by recording signals from patients’ brains while they were asked to speak or mime sentences, they built maps of how the brain directs the vocal tract, including the lips, tongue, jaw, and vocal cords, to make different sounds.

(Scientists translate brain signals into speech sounds, National Institutes of Health)