/ maɪm; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
[ U , C ] (especially in the theatre) the use of movements of your hands or body and the expressions on your face to tell a story or to act sth without speaking; a performance using this method of acting :
The performance consisted of dance, music and mime.
a mime artist
She performed a brief mime.
■ verb
1.
to act, tell a story, etc. by moving your body and face but without speaking :
[ vn ]
Each player has to mime the title of a movie, play or book.
[ v -ing ]
He mimed climbing a mountain.
[also v ]
2.
mime (to) (sth) to pretend to sing a song that is actually being sung by sb else on a tape, etc. :
[ v ]
The band was miming to a backing tape.
[also vn ]
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WORD ORIGIN
early 17th cent. (also in the sense mimic or jester ): from Latin mimus , from Greek mimos .