masque
Americannoun
-
a form of aristocratic entertainment in England in the 16th and 17th centuries, originally consisting of pantomime and dancing but later including dialogue and song, presented in elaborate productions given by amateur and professional actors.
-
a dramatic composition for such entertainment.
-
a masquerade; masked ball; revel.
-
mask.
noun
-
a dramatic entertainment of the 16th to 17th centuries in England, consisting of pantomime, dancing, dialogue, and song, often performed at court
-
the words and music written for a masque
-
short for masquerade
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of masque
From Middle French, dating back to 1505–15; see origin at mask
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The House of Usher was released in 1960 and was followed by a string of others including The Raven, The Masque of the Red Death and The Tomb of Ligeia.
From BBC • May 12, 2024
In Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Masque of the Red Death," attendees of a festive ball held during a mysterious pestilence meet their doom.
From Salon • Jun. 8, 2022
That show, “The Masque of the Red Death,” repurposed the stories of Edgar Allan Poe.
From New York Times • Feb. 9, 2022
So you could be at the Masque at least twice a week.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 1, 2022
He followed the same course in The First of May: A Fairy Masque by his friend John R. Wise, text and decoration being in this case reproduced by photogravure.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 6 "Coucy-le-Château" to "Crocodile" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
