mime
/maɪm/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.06 in modern English
8
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
3
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Any of various papilionid butterflies of the genus Chilasa or Papilio, that mimic other species in appearance.
Countable; Uncountable
verb
To mimic.
Example Sentences
- "[Silence] demands returning to the self, to innocence and a portrayal of situations as if all the particulars were completely unknown to the viewer. There are no props but the muscular versatility of the human form. Mime is the one thing that truly proves we can be all things."
- "The mimes were packed with lascivious gestures and movements, and usually presented erotic scenes, on occasion farcically treated."
- "In this game, you're given a word, which you have to mime to the others in the group."
Etymology
Possibly from Middle English mime, from Old English mīma (“a buffoon, jester, mime”), from Latin mimus, from Ancient Greek μῖμος (mîmos, “imitator, actor”), but more likely re-borrowed in modern times from French mime (“mimic actor”), from the same source.