vaudeville
UK /ˈvɔ.d(ə).vɪl/ · US /ˈvɔː.d(ə)ˌvɪl/ noun
Forms vaudevilles
- noun (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.
- noun (historical, countable) An entertainment in this style.
Synonyms
Etymology
Borrowed from French vaudeville.
Webster’s 1913
- 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.
Etymology [F., fr. Vau-de-vire, a village in Normandy, where Olivier Basselin, at the end of the 14th century, composed such songs.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “vaudeville”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details