parterre
Americannoun
-
Also called parquet circle. the rear section of seats, and sometimes also the side sections, of the main floor of a theater, concert hall, or opera house.
-
an ornamental arrangement of flower beds of different shapes and sizes.
noun
-
a formally patterned flower garden
-
the pit in a theatre
-
another name for parquet circle
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of parterre
1630–40; < French, noun use of phrase par terre on the ground. See per, terra
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.
Andy Mills, the Unesco World Heritage Site's head gardener, told the BBC it was "absolutely magical" to see the outlines of the historic parterre - 260 years after it was demolished.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
The proscenium has been removed entirely and the stage brought forward 25 feet, fitted with flexible risers and parterre seating.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 6, 2022
Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine's ambassador to the United Nations, was introduced from the parterre level and received a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of about 3,600.
From Fox News ● Mar. 15, 2022
Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations, was introduced from the parterre level and received a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of about 3,600.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 14, 2022
The “pigeon house” stood behind a locked gate, and a shallow parterre that had been somewhat neglected.
From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
