zarzuela

[ zahr-zwey-luh, -zwee-; Spanish thahr-thwe-lah, sahr-swe- ]

/ zɑrˈzweɪ lə, -ˈzwi-; Spanish θɑrˈθwɛ lɑ, sɑrˈswɛ- /

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noun, plural zar·zue·las

[zahr-zwey-luhz, -zwee-; Spanish thahr-thwe-lahs, sahr-swe-]. /zɑrˈzweɪ ləz, -ˈzwi-; Spanish θɑrˈθwɛ lɑs, sɑrˈswɛ-/.

a Spanish opera having spoken dialogue and often a satirically treated, topical theme.

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Origin of zarzuela

1885–90; <Spanish, after La Zarzuela, palace near Madrid where first performance took place (1629)

Words nearby zarzuela

Zardeh Kuh, zareba, zarf, Zaria, Zarqa, zarzuela, zastruga, zastrugi, Zatlers, Zátopek, zax

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use zarzuela in a sentence

The last-named type, the zarzuela, became particularly popular.
A History of Spain|Charles E. Chapman
The zarzuela, I should add, lasts about an hour, and for the most part is divided into three scenes.
The Land of The Blessed Virgin; Sketches and Impressions in Andalusia|William Somerset Maugham
De repente sinti una alegre voz que modulaba entre dientes el estribillo de una cancin de zarzuela.
Doa Perfecta|Benito Prez Galds
Se dedican a las representaciones de zarzuela o de opereta el Apolo y el Espaol.
A First Spanish Reader|Erwin W. Roessler and Alfred Remy

The days of the great writers of zarzuela have gone never to return.
Rosinante to the Road Again|John Dos Passos

British Dictionary definitions for zarzuela

zarzuela

/ (zɑːˈzweɪlə) /

noun

a type of Spanish vaudeville or operetta, usually satirical in nature

a seafood stew

Word Origin for zarzuela

from Spanish, from La Zarzuela, name of the palace near Madrid where such vaudeville was first performed (1629)

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