Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Something seen by a viewer; a view or prospect.
  • noun The place where an action or event occurs.
  • noun The place in which the action of a play, movie, novel, or other narrative occurs; a setting.
  • noun A subdivision of an act in a dramatic presentation in which the setting is fixed and the time continuous.
  • noun A shot or series of shots in a movie constituting a unit of continuous related action.
  • noun The scenery and properties for a dramatic presentation.
  • noun A theater stage.
  • noun A real or fictitious episode, especially when described.
  • noun A public display of passion or temper.
  • noun A sphere of activity.
  • noun Slang A situation or set of circumstances.
  • idiom (behind the scenes) Backstage.
  • idiom (behind the scenes) Out of public view; in secret.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To exhibit; make an exhibition or scene of; display; set out.
  • noun A stage; the place where dramatic pieces and other shows are performed or exhibited; that part of a theater in which the acting is done.
  • noun The place in which the action of a play is supposed to occur; the place represented by the stage and its painted slides, hangings, etc.; the surroundings amid which anything is set before the imagination.
  • noun The place where anything is done or takes place: as, the scene of one's labors; the scene of the catastrophe.
  • noun One of the painted slides, hangings, etc., used on the stage of a theater to give an appearance of reality to the action of a play.
  • noun A division of a play or of an act of a play, generally so much as represents what passes between the same persons in the same place; also, some particular incident or situation represented in the course of a play.
  • noun One of a series of events, actions, or situations contributing to form a complete view or spectacle or a written representation or description: as, scenes from the life of Buddha; scenes and sketches of camp life.
  • noun Any exhibition, display, or demonstration; especially, an exhibition of strong feeling, usually of a pathetic or passionate character, between two or more persons.
  • noun A view; a landscape; scenery.
  • noun = Syn.8. Prospect, Landscape, etc. See view.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb obsolete To exhibit as a scene; to make a scene of; to display.
  • noun The structure on which a spectacle or play is exhibited; the part of a theater in which the acting is done, with its adjuncts and decorations; the stage.
  • noun The decorations and fittings of a stage, representing the place in which the action is supposed to go on; one of the slides, or other devices, used to give an appearance of reality to the action of a play.
  • noun So much of a play as passes without change of locality or time, or important change of character; hence, a subdivision of an act; a separate portion of a play, subordinate to the act, but differently determined in different plays.
  • noun The place, time, circumstance, etc., in which anything occurs, or in which the action of a story, play, or the like, is laid; surroundings amid which anything is set before the imagination; place of occurrence, exhibition, or action.
  • noun An assemblage of objects presented to the view at once; a series of actions and events exhibited in their connection; a spectacle; a show; an exhibition; a view.
  • noun A landscape, or part of a landscape; scenery.
  • noun An exhibition of passionate or strong feeling before others; often, an artifical or affected action, or course of action, done for effect; a theatrical display.
  • noun behind the scenery of a theater; out of the view of the audience, but in sight of the actors, machinery, etc.; hence, conversant with the hidden motives and agencies of what appears to public view.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The location of an event that attracts attention.
  • noun theater The structure on which a spectacle or play is exhibited; the part of a theater in which the acting is done, with its adjuncts and decorations; the stage.
  • noun The decorations and fittings of a stage, representing the place in which the action is supposed to go on; one of the slides, or other devices, used to give an appearance of reality to the action of a play; as, to paint scenes; to shift the scenes; to go behind the scenes.
  • noun So much of a play as passes without change of locality or time, or important change of character; hence, a subdivision of an act; a separate portion of a play, subordinate to the act, but differently determined in different plays; as, an act of four scenes.
  • noun The place, time, circumstance, etc., in which anything occurs, or in which the action of a story, play, or the like, is laid; surroundings amid which anything is set before the imagination; place of occurrence, exhibition, or action.
  • noun An assemblage of objects presented to the view at once; a series of actions and events exhibited in their connection; a spectacle; a show; an exhibition; a view.
  • noun A landscape, or part of a landscape; scenery.
  • noun An exhibition of passionate or strong feeling before others; often, an artificial or affected action, or course of action, done for effect; a theatrical display.
  • noun An element of fiction writing.
  • noun A social environment consisting of a large informal, vague group of people with a uniting interest; their sphere of activity.
  • verb To exhibit as a scene; to make a scene of; to display.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a situation treated as an observable object
  • noun the context and environment in which something is set
  • noun an incident (real or imaginary)

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French scène, stage, from Old French, from Latin scaena, from Greek skēnē, tent, stage (via Etruscan).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle French scene, from Latin scaena, scēna, from Ancient Greek σκηνή (skēnē, "scene, stage").

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Examples

  • Bertram -- attentively, but gaze admiringly at the scene -- _at the scene_ -- oh! man, _do_ what I bid ye -- your life hangs on it.

    The Wild Man of the West A Tale of the Rocky Mountains Archibald Webb 1859

  • Finally, there's Ray Mears in the title scene of Wild Britain Fri, 8pm, ITV1 rowing manfully, staring determinedly through binoculars, smiling at butterflies.

    It's a good week for … Britain 2011

  • This rain scene is one of my all time favorite movie scenes.

    Top 10 Movie Rain Scenes » Scene-Stealers 2009

  • (The Ben Affleck as Alec Baldwin scene is truly unforgivable, though.)

    Balloon Juice » 2009 » January 2009

  • The train scene is what Im concerned with Because I was on it …

    Must Watch: David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Trailer! « FirstShowing.net 2008

  • Maybe the bathtub scene is shorthand for we want to make this character as vulnerable as we can make it while at the same time have it hold it's dignity.

    Gratuitous bathtub scenes. Ann Althouse 2009

  • Lenders are moving to oust Hawaii resort and condominium renovator Brian Anderson from a number of high-profile projects, including an iconic 1960s hotel featured in the title scene of the television series "Hawaii Five-O."

    TIC Pain 2008

  • The gorgeous Russian blond at the bar keeps staring at you with almost vampire-like hunger, and you wonder whether the local sin scene is as extravagant as the shopping … ..

    7 Star Service Ben Barren 2005

  • The gorgeous Russian blond at the bar keeps staring at you with almost vampire-like hunger, and you wonder whether the local sin scene is as extravagant as the shopping … ..

    Archive 2005-07-01 Ben Barren 2005

  • The Ducks are hoping a change in scene translates to results on the ice.

    USATODAY.com 2003

  • Within their walls, public sex is referred to as a “scene,” sexual contact is referred to as “playing” and participants go by “scene names.”

    A Brooklyn Sex Club Promised Freedom. Some Called It Rape. By 2024

Comments

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  • A continuous block of storytelling either set in a single location or following a particular character.

    July 15, 2008

  • blah is an interesting word.

    December 7, 2008