Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun Stage entertainment offering a variety of short acts such as slapstick turns, song-and-dance routines, and juggling performances.
- noun A theatrical performance of this kind; a variety show.
- noun A light comic play that often includes songs, pantomime, and dances.
- noun A popular, often satirical song.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The name given by Oliver Basselin, a French poet of the fifteenth century, to his convivial songs composed in the valley of the Vire, which became very popular throughout France.
- noun Hence In modern French poetry, a light, gay song, frequently embodying a satire, consisting of several couplets with a refrain or burden, sung to a familiar air, and often introduced into theatrical pieces; a song popular with the common people, and sung about the streets; a ballad; a topical song.
- noun A light kind of dramatic entertainment, combining pantomime with dialogue and songs, which obtained great popularity about the middle of the eighteenth century.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun 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.
- noun A theatrical piece, usually a comedy, the dialogue of which is intermingled with light or satirical songs, set to familiar airs.
- noun a
variety show when performed live in a theater (see above).
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun historical, uncountable A
style of multi-acttheatrical entertainment whichflourished inNorth America from the 1880s through the 1920s. - noun historical, countable An entertainment in this style.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a variety show with songs and comic acts etc.
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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It was late in the 19th century that the French word "vaudeville" came into use to describe these programs; the British called them music halls.
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The Stooges relied on material they'd honed in vaudeville and nightclubs; they knew what they were doing because they'd been doing it forever, and it was organic to them.
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 He started his entertainment career in vaudeville in 1902.
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And don't look for a happy ending: four of them worked in vaudeville to trade on their fame but their lives were broken and shattered all down the line.
Michael Giltz: Theater Review: "The Scottsboro Boys" Triumphs Michael Giltz 2010
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Rather, he left home at age 18 after many years of practicing his craft as a juggler, and he was a headline star in vaudeville by age 21.
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And don't look for a happy ending: four of them worked in vaudeville to trade on their fame but their lives were broken and shattered all down the line.
Michael Giltz: Theater Review: "The Scottsboro Boys" Triumphs Michael Giltz 2010
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After his baseball career ended, Anson went on to have several businesses, a stint in vaudeville, and managing the New York Giants.
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After stints in vaudeville and nightclubs, he took his act to radio, where the Edgar Bergen – Charlie McCarthy Show (with his caustic and irrepressible dummy Charlie McCarthy) was one of the most popular programs for 20 years (1937 – 57).
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David Gergen needs to bring back vaudeville from the dead.
Unlikeliest Marquee Headliner Ever - Swampland - TIME.com 2008
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Musical comedies never fully disguise their roots in vaudeville, where singers sang and dancers danced for the sheer pleasure of performing.
Out of Our Dreams 2002
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