vaudeville

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: vaude=ville

CIDE DICTIONARY

vaudeville, n. [F., fr. Vau-de-vire, a village in Normandy, where Olivier Basselin, at the end of the 14th century, composed such songs.].

•  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.  [1913 Webster]
•  A theatrical piece, usually a comedy, the dialogue of which is intermingled with light or satirical songs, set to familiar airs.  [1913 Webster]

  "The early vaudeville, which is the forerunner of the opera bouffe, was light, graceful, and piquant."  [1913 Webster]
•  a variety show when performed live in a theater (see above); as, to play in vaudeville; a vaudeville actor.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

vaudeville, n.
1 esp. US variety entertainment.
2 a stage play on a trivial theme with interspersed songs.
3 a satirical or topical song with a refrain.

Derivative

vaudevillian adj. & n.

Etymology

F, orig. of convivial song esp. any of those composed by O. Basselin, 15th-c. poet born at Vau de Vire in Normandy

THESAURUS

vaudeville

Broadway, Grand Guignol, Passion play, Tom show, antimasque, audience success, ballet, bomb, broadcast drama, burlesque, burlesque show, carnival, charade, circus, cliff hanger, closet drama, comedy drama, critical success, daytime serial, dialogue, documentary drama, drama, dramalogue, dramatic play, dramatic series, duodrama, duologue, entertainment industry, epic theater, experimental theater, extravaganza, failure, flop, gasser, giveaway, happening, hit, hit show, improvisational drama, legit, legitimate drama, legitimate stage, masque, melodrama, minstrel show, miracle, miracle play, monodrama, monologue, morality, morality play, music drama, musical revue, mystery, mystery play, off Broadway, off-off-Broadway, opera, pageant, panel show, pantomime, pastoral, pastoral drama, piece, play, playland, playlet, problem play, psychodrama, quiz show, radio drama, repertory drama, review, revue, sensational play, serial, show, show biz, show business, sitcom, situation comedy, sketch, skit, soap, soap opera, sociodrama, spectacle, stage play, stage show, stage world, stagedom, stageland, stock, straight drama, strawhat, strawhat circuit, success, summer stock, suspense drama, tableau, tableau vivant, talk show, teleplay, television drama, television play, the boards, the footlights, the scenes, the stage, the theater, theater of cruelty, theater world, theatromania, theatrophobia, total theater, variety, variety show, vaudeville show, vehicle, word-of-mouth success, work

ROGET THESAURUS

vaudeville

The Drama

N the drama, the stage, the theater, the play, film the film, movies, motion pictures, cinema, cinematography, theatricals, dramaturgy, histrionic art, buskin, sock, cothurnus, Melpomene and Thalia, Thespis, play, drama, stage play, piece, five-act play, tragedy, comedy, opera, vaudeville, comedietta, lever de rideau, interlude, afterpiece, exode, farce, divertissement, extravaganza, burletta, harlequinade, pantomime, burlesque, opera bouffe, ballet, spectacle, masque, drame comedie drame, melodrama, melodrame, comidie larmoyante, sensation drama, tragicomedy, farcical-comedy, monodrame monologue, duologue trilogy, charade, proverbs, mystery, miracle play, musical, musical comedy, western, horse opera, flick, spy film, love story, adventure film, documentary, nature film, pornographic film, smoker, skin flick, X-rated film, act, scene, tableau, induction, introduction, prologue, epilogue, libretto, performance, representation, mise en scene, stagery, jeu de theatre, acting, gesture, impersonation, stage business, gag, buffoonery, light comedy, genteel comedy, low comedy, theater, playhouse, opera house, house, music hall, amphitheater, circus, hippodrome, theater in the round, puppet show, fantoccini, marionettes, Punch and Judy, auditory, auditorium, front of the house, stalls, boxes, pit, gallery, parquet, greenroom, coulisses, flat, drop, drop scene, wing, screen, side scene, transformation scene, curtain, act drop, proscenium, stage, scene, scenery, the boards, trap, mezzanine floor, flies, floats, footlights, offstage, orchestra, theatrical costume, theatrical properties, movie studio, back lot, on location, part, role, character, dramatis personae, repertoire, actor, thespian, player, method actor, stage player, strolling player, stager, performer, mime, mimer, artists, comedian, tragedian, tragedienne, Roscius, star, movie star, star of stage and screen, superstar, idol, sex symbol, supporting actor, supporting cast, ham, hamfatter, masker, pantomimist, clown harlequin, buffo, buffoon, farceur, grimacer, pantaloon, columbine, punchinello, pulcinello, pulcinella, extra, bit- player, walk-on role, cameo appearance, mute, figurante, general utility, super, supernumerary, company, first tragedian, prima donna, protagonist, jeune premier, debutant, debutante, light comedian, genteel comedian, low comedian, walking gentleman, amoroso, heavy father, ingenue, jeune veuve, mummer, guiser, guisard, gysart, masque, mountebank, Jack Pudding, tumbler, posture master, acrobat, contortionist, ballet dancer, ballet girl, chorus singer, coryphee danseuse, property man, costumier, machinist, prompter, call boy, manager, director, stage manager, acting manager, producer, entrepreneur, impresario, backer, investor, angel, dramatic author, dramatic writer, play writer, playwright, dramatist, mimographer, dramatic, theatric, theatrical, scenic, histrionic, comic, tragic, buskined, farcical, tragicomic, melodramatic, operatic, stagy, on the stage, on the boards, on film, before the floats, before an audience, behind the scenes, fere totus mundus exercet histrionem, suit the action to the word, the word to the action, the play's the thing, to wake the soul by tender strokes of art.