1. Plural of dumbshow; theatrical performances or scenes acted out in pantomime without spoken dialogue.
Usage: Often used in historical or literary contexts, particularly in reference to Renaissance and early modern theater.
2. Actions or gestures that communicate meaning without words; silent or nonverbal communication.
Usage: Figurative use; can refer to any silent or wordless expression of meaning.

Examples

• The play featured several dumbshows that conveyed the characters' emotions without any spoken lines.
• In Elizabethan theater, dumbshows were often used to summarize plot points or foreshadow events.
• The actor's dumbshows were so expressive that the audience understood the entire scene without hearing a word.
• Medieval mystery plays sometimes included dumbshows to represent supernatural or divine events.
• Through a series of dumbshows, the mime told the story of a man's journey from poverty to wealth.
• The director used dumbshows to create a dreamlike quality in the opening scene.