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

Example Sentences

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

Curator Jane Pritchard has scored a particular coup in getting her hands on the giant drop curtain painted by Picasso for Le Train Bleu, plus Coco Chanel's elegant sportswear-influenced costumes.

From The Guardian • Sep. 24, 2010

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

From The Guardian • Sep. 23, 2010

At the end at which they entered was a gallery extending some fifteen feet into the room, at the other end was a raised platform, with a drop curtain.

From Captain Bayley's Heir: A Tale of the Gold Fields of California by Paget, H. M. (Henry Marriott)