afterpiece

[ af-ter-pees, ahf- ]

See synonyms for afterpiece on Thesaurus.com

noun

a short dramatic piece performed after a featured play.

Origin of afterpiece

First recorded in 1770–80; after + piece

Words Nearby afterpiece

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use afterpiece in a sentence

On this fateful date, the feature had been completed and the afterpiece was being enacted.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia | Dorothy M. Torpey
There was an afterpiece to the play; what had very nearly been a tragedy developing into something resembling a farce.
The Cradle of Mankind | W.A. Wigram
The tragedy of the gallows was followed by a short afterpiece.
The Book of the Bush | George Dunderdale
They waited for the afterpiece, enjoyed a pasty and a bottle of Beaune, and went away laughing cozily together.
One-Act Plays | Various
He strolled into the Adelphi, and felt savage at the pathos of the play, and the fun of the afterpiece.
Ralph Wilton's weird | Mrs. Alexander

British Dictionary definitions for afterpiece

afterpiece

/ (ˈɑːftəˌpiːs) /

noun

a brief usually comic dramatic piece presented after a play

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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