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proscenium

[ proh-see-nee-uh m, pruh- ]
/ proʊˈsi ni əm, prə- /
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noun, plural pro·sce·ni·a [proh-see-nee-uh, pruh-] /proʊˈsi ni ə, prə-/. Theater.

Also called proscenium arch. the arch that separates a stage from the auditorium. Abbreviation: pros.
(formerly) the apron or, especially in ancient theater, the stage itself.

RELATED WORDS

top, head, face, facade, anterior, frontage, van, lead, frontal, brow, frontispiece, fore, bow, facing, vanguard, forehead, breast, exterior, obverse, foreground

Nearby words

  1. prosaic,
  2. prosaicism,
  3. prosaism,
  4. prosaist,
  5. prosateur,
  6. prosciutto,
  7. proscribe,
  8. proscription,
  9. proscriptive,
  10. prose

Origin of proscenium

1600–10; < Latin proscēnium, proscaenium < Greek proskḗnion entrance to a tent, porch, stage (Late Greek: stage curtain), equivalent to pro- pro-2 + skēn(ḗ) (see scene) + -ion neuter noun suffix
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for proscenium

  • The chief feat however is not yet performed, that which is to be acted in front of the Proscenium!

    Beethoven's Letters 1790-1826 Vol. 2|Lady Wallace

  • The Proscenium Arch is the arch or frame extending around the front of the stage of a theatre.

    The Boy Craftsman|A. Neely Hall

  • Anyway, I'm going to propose, him for the Stuyvesant and the Proscenium.

    The Younger Set|Robert W. Chambers

British Dictionary definitions for proscenium

proscenium

/ (prəˈsiːnɪəm) /

noun plural -nia (-nɪə) or -niums

the arch or opening separating the stage from the auditorium together with the area immediately in front of the arch
(in ancient theatres) the stage itself

Word Origin for proscenium

C17: via Latin from Greek proskēnion, from pro- before + skēnē scene
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

Word Origin and History for proscenium

proscenium

n.

c.1600, "stage of an ancient theater," from Latin proscaenium, from Greek proskenion "the space in front of the scenery," also "entrance of a tent," from pro "in front" (see pro-) + skene "stage, tent, booth" (see scene). Modern sense of "space between the curtain and the orchestra" is attested from 1807.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper