mummer
- noun
- /ˈmʌmər/
- mummer's play
Examples
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"You look like a mummer at Midwinter Festival."
Fiction book (1994) -
Been ages since I've even thought of a mummer's play.
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Masked mummers, often cross-dressed, offered performances in the streets.
Academic text (1990) -
Everybody will join in-- mummers, giants, jesters-- a whole procession of fools.
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British mummers and Morris dancers often decorate their hats and jackets with them as a means of reflecting away evil.
Academic text (1999) -
The mummer entertained the crowd with expressive movements and exaggerated gestures.
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During the festival, the children were thrilled to see a mummer perform without saying a word.
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At the street fair, a skilled mummer captivated everyone with their silent storytelling.
Synonyms
A person who tells a story using only gestures and facial expressions
A person who acts out stories and feelings using only gestures and facial expressions
A person who acts using movement and expressions on their face without speaking
A person who acts using gestures and facial expressions without speaking
Antonyms
How Theatrical
- Offensive
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word mummer comes from the old word mum, which means 'silent' or 'quiet'. A mummer is a performer who keeps silent and uses gestures and facial expressions to tell a story, so the origin explains why mummers act without words.