set piece

American  

[set pees] / ˈsɛt ˌpis /

noun

1. Theater. a piece of scenery used as part of a stage set, as a profile or three-dimensional construction built to stand independently on the stage floor.

   A few set pieces simulating rocks and a fence constituted the scenery for the first act.

2. a work of art, literature, music, etc., having a prescribed thematic and formal structure.

   the set pieces of Restoration comedy.

3. a scene, action, or the like, having a conventional form and functioning as part of the structure of a work of art, literature, etc.

4. a military operation carried out according to a rigid plan.

5. Also called set play.  Sports. a coordinated maneuver with team players in a preplanned formation when the ball re-enters active play, as a corner kick in soccer.

   The team’s dedicated practice time for set pieces paid off in their penalty kick results this year.

6. (in a novel, narrative poem, or the like) a passage more or less extraneous to the sequence of events, introduced to supply background, color, or the like.

7. an arrangement of slow-burning fireworks forming a design or composition when lighted.

---

set piece British  

noun

1. a work of literature, music, etc, often having a conventional or prescribed theme, intended to create an impressive effect

2. a piece of scenery built to stand independently as part of a stage set

3. a display of fireworks

4. sport a rehearsed team manoeuvre, usually attempted in continuous games at a restart of play, esp when the other side has been penalized for improper play

---

Etymology

Origin of set piece

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

The sequel is, like its predecessor, wall-to-wall animated frenzy, with chases, fights and handsomely detailed set pieces such as a topsy-turvy casino land where characters walk on walls and ceilings.

From The Wall Street Journal

While “House of David” contains plenty of action set pieces, their scope is beefed up by AI-generated imagery — more than 350 shots in Season 2 alone, Erwin told Wired, citing budget constraints.

From Salon

So it went for an hour, large bouquets and small ones, elaborate set pieces and home-grown plants in clay pots.

From Literature

In Verdi’s hands the waltz is no mere set piece articulating place and time, but a throughline central to the realism at the heart of the work.

From The Wall Street Journal

But when we look at how the goals were scored - from open play or set pieces - it seems that Arsenal's critics have more of a point.

From BBC

Related Words

• scenery
• tableau