Tra từ pantomime - Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

panto·mime [pantomime pantomimes pantomimed pantomiming] BrE [ˈpæntəmaɪm] NAmE [ˈpæntəmaɪm] noun
1. (also BrE informal panto)countable, uncountable (in Britain) a type of play with music, dancing and jokes, that is based on a ↑fairy tale and is usually performed at Christmas
•We took the children to a pantomime.
•He has also appeared in pantomime.
•the pantomime season
2. uncountable, countable, usually singular the use of movement and the expression of your face to communicate sth or to tell a story
Syn: ↑mime
•a magical tale told through pantomime and song
•When I finally arrived, he made a pantomime of checking his watch and shaking it in disbelief.
3. countable, usually singular (BrE)a ridiculous situation, usually with a lot of confusion
Syn: ↑farce
•The company's board meetings had become a pantomime and no decisions were ever made.
See also: ↑panto

Word Origin:
late 16th cent. (first used in the Latin form and denoting an actor using mime): from French pantomime or Latin pantomimus, from Greek pantomimos ‘imitator of all’ (from panto- ‘all, universal’ and ↑mime).

Culture:
pantomime
Pantomimes, also called pantos, are traditionally put on in theatres throughout Britain for several weeks before and after ↑Christmas. Most are intended for children. They are a British tradition which has developed over several centuries. A pantomime combines a fairy tale with comedy, music and singing, acrobatics and verse. Among the most popular stories are ↑Aladdin, Babes in the Wood, ↑Cinderella, Dick Whittington and, ↑Jack and the Beanstalk.
The audience usually takes an active part in a performance: characters on stage speak to the audience directly and they shout back their answer. Sometimes they have noisy arguments, exchanging shouts of ‚Oh yes, it is’ and ‚Oh no, it isn’t’. Audiences are often encouraged to join in the singing, and to boo loudly whenever a bad character appears. Other pantomime traditions include that of the hero, called the principal boy, being played by a young woman, and a comic old woman, called a ↑dame, being played by a male comedian. Pantomimes often also include several animal characters played by actors in animal costume.
Many of the most successful pantomimes performed in professional theatres have well-known television or sports personalities playing leading roles. Hundreds of amateur pantomimes are also put on each year.
Pantomimes of this kind do not exist in the US where the word pantomime means a play or entertainment performed without words.