Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A type of comedy developed in Italy in the 16th and 17th centuries and characterized by improvisation from a standard plot outline and the use of stock characters, often in traditional masks and costumes.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun Italian comedy of the 16th to 18th centuries improvised from standardized situations and stock characters
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[Italian : commedia, comedy + dell'arte, of the guild, professional (from arte, art, craft, guild).]
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