VAUDEVILLE

vaudeville, music hall

(noun) a variety show with songs and comic acts etc.

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

vaudeville (countable and uncountable, plural vaudevilles)

(historical, uncountable) A style of multi-act theatrical entertainment which originated from France and flourished in Europe and North America from the 1880s through the 1920s.

(historical, countable) An entertainment in this style.

Synonyms

• music hall (British)

Coordinate terms

• burlesque

Source: Wiktionary


Vaude"ville, n. Etym: [F., fr. Vau-de-vire, a village in Normandy, where Olivier Basselin, at the end of the 14th century, composed such songs.] [Written also vaudevil.]

1. A kind of song of a lively character, frequently embodying a satire on some person or event, sung to a familiar air in couplets with a refrain; a street song; a topical song.

2. A theatrical piece, usually a comedy, the dialogue of which is intermingled with light or satirical songs, set to familiar airs. The early vaudeville, which is the forerunner of the opera bouffe, was light, graceful, and piquant. Johnson's Cyc.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

19 October 2024

CYTOMEGALOVIRUS

(noun) any of a group of herpes viruses that enlarge epithelial cells and can cause birth defects; can affect humans with impaired immunological systems


coffee icon

Coffee Trivia

According to Guinness World Records, the largest coffee press is 230 cm (7 ft 6 in) in height and 72 cm (2 ft 4 in) in diameter and was created by Salzillo Tea and Coffee (Spain) in Murcia, Spain, in February 2007. The cafetière consists of a stainless steel container, a filtering piston, and a superior lid.

coffee icon