set piece

American  

[set pees] / ˈsɛt ˌpis /

noun

1. Theater. a piece of scenery used as part of a stage set, as a profile or three-dimensional construction built to stand independently on the stage floor.

   A few set pieces simulating rocks and a fence constituted the scenery for the first act.

2. a work of art, literature, music, etc., having a prescribed thematic and formal structure.

   the set pieces of Restoration comedy.

3. a scene, action, or the like, having a conventional form and functioning as part of the structure of a work of art, literature, etc.

4. a military operation carried out according to a rigid plan.

5. Also called set play.  Sports. a coordinated maneuver with team players in a preplanned formation when the ball re-enters active play, as a corner kick in soccer.

   The team’s dedicated practice time for set pieces paid off in their penalty kick results this year.

6. (in a novel, narrative poem, or the like) a passage more or less extraneous to the sequence of events, introduced to supply background, color, or the like.

7. an arrangement of slow-burning fireworks forming a design or composition when lighted.

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set piece British  

noun

1. a work of literature, music, etc, often having a conventional or prescribed theme, intended to create an impressive effect

2. a piece of scenery built to stand independently as part of a stage set

3. a display of fireworks

4. sport a rehearsed team manoeuvre, usually attempted in continuous games at a restart of play, esp when the other side has been penalized for improper play

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Etymology

Origin of set piece

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

The annual set piece before a joint session of Congress in early March of that year offered him an opportunity—a requirement, really—to show that he was capable of doing the job for another four years.

From Slate • Feb. 24, 2026

Many firms and economists would say this year they have done exactly that, not least in Rachel Reeves' set piece speech and media interviews.

From BBC • Nov. 19, 2025

It contains much subtle humor, but the concluding set piece, with longhorns roaming the streets of Los Angeles and comedically terrifying its denizens, remains the movie’s high point.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 17, 2025

Stuck halfway out of the massive graveyard set piece, Gaga performs the song with more yearning than ever before, her agile voice rising and falling as it cascades across the desperation in her lyrics.

From Salon • Apr. 16, 2025

If the main set piece does not rotate, it’s useless.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

Related Words

• scenery
• tableau