drop curtain

American  

noun

Theater.

1. a curtain that is lowered into position from the flies.

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drop curtain British  

noun

1. Also called: drop cloth, drop. theatre a curtain that is suspended from the flies and can be raised and lowered onto the stage

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Etymology

Origin of drop curtain

First recorded in 1825–35

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

drop curtain

The house chandeliers rose, the lights dimmed, the orchestra tuned, the black drop curtain went up, and “Madama Butterfly” got underway.

From New York Times ● Oct. 25, 2019

But it’s another kind of show-stopper I’m speaking of today, the kind my taxi friend fears lurks behind every drop curtain.

From New York Times ● Feb. 10, 2011

The ballet itself has long disappeared, but the drop curtain, of two women bounding along a beach, has survived.

From The Guardian ● Sep. 23, 2010

Pablo Picasso's drop curtain for Le Train Bleu ballet, at the V&A in London.

From The Guardian ● Sep. 23, 2010

I hurried out of my dressing room, and as I looked I saw that the big drop curtain was on fire.

From Chicago's Awful Theater Horror by Various

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