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• Marx Brothers
  Marx Brothers

  plural noun

  a family of U.S. comedians, including Julius Henry (“Groucho” ), 1890–1977, Arthur (Adolph Marx ) (“Harpo” ), 1888–1964, Leonard (“Chico” ), 1887–1961, and Herbert (“Zeppo” ), 1901–79.
• Marx brothers
  Marx brothers

  A family of American film comedians who flourished in the 1930s; Duck Soup and A Night at the Opera are two of their films. The brothers included the wisecracking, cigar-smoking Groucho; the harp-playing, woman-chasing Harpo, who never spoke but beeped a bicycle horn instead; and the piano- playing, Italian-accented Chico. A fourth brother, Zeppo, appeared in a few films, but a fifth brother, Gummo, did not appear in any.

Marx Brothers

American  

plural noun

1. a family of U.S. comedians, including Julius Henry (“Groucho” ), 1890–1977, Arthur (Adolph Marx ) (“Harpo” ), 1888–1964, Leonard (“Chico” ), 1887–1961, and Herbert (“Zeppo” ), 1901–79.

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Marx Brothers British  

/ mɑːks /

noun

1. the. a US family of film comedians, esp Arthur Marx, known as Harpo (1888–1964), Herbert Marx, known as Zeppo (1901–79), Julius Marx, known as Groucho (1890–1977), and Leonard Marx , known as Chico (1886–1961). Their films include Animal Crackers (1930), Monkey Business (1931), Horsefeathers (1932), Duck Soup (1933), and A Day at the Races (1937)

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Marx brothers Cultural  

1. A family of American film comedians who flourished in the 1930s; Duck Soup and A Night at the Opera are two of their films. The brothers included the wisecracking, cigar-smoking Groucho; the harp-playing, woman-chasing Harpo, who never spoke but beeped a bicycle horn instead; and the piano- playing, Italian-accented Chico. A fourth brother, Zeppo, appeared in a few films, but a fifth brother, Gummo, did not appear in any.

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Groucho Marx later had a successful career on television and as a nightclub entertainer.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Marx Brothers Marx brothers

He never had an unmistakable screen personality such as Chaplin’s Tramp, Keaton’s “Great Stone Face,” or those of the various Marx Brothers doing their anarchic things.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

Thorne created “vast” backstories for each kid, even if only snippets — like Piggy’s love of the Marx Brothers — appear on screen.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2026

Sir Lenny, who plays one of the wise men alongside Sir Michael, says his world would include Stevie Wonder, Prince, Elvis, Beyonce and The Marx Brothers, along with "lots and lots of cake".

From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2026

It reads like some kind of weird Marx Brothers script.

From Slate ● Mar. 20, 2026

One night while watching an old Marx Brothers movie on the Late Show, he was held entranced by a scene where the brothers were searching for a missing painting.

From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier

And I also had one about the Marx brothers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2025

It was like something out of a Marx brothers movie.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 1, 2022

The youngest of the Marx brothers spent much of his brief time on screen being overshadowed by flashier siblings Chico, Groucho and Harpo.

From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2017

In the hands of the Marx brothers, Peter Sellers — or even Sacha Baron Cohen — this could have been a whimsically endearing bit of slapstick.

From Washington Post ● May 12, 2016

A fondness for apparently mindless humor with subversive currents of intelligence in it -- for example, old Warner Brothers and Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoons, the Marx brothers, the early B-52s, and Monty Python's Flying Circus.

From The Jargon File, Version 4.2.2, 20 Aug 2000 by Steele, Guy L.