vaudeville
noun
vaude·ville
| \ ˈvȯd-vəl
, ˈväd-, ˈvōd-, -ˌvil; ˈvȯ-də-, ˈvä-
, ˈvō-
\
, ˈväd-, ˈvōd-, -ˌvil; ˈvȯ-də-, ˈvä-
, ˈvō-
\
Definition of vaudeville
1
: a light often comic theatrical piece frequently combining pantomime, dialogue, dancing, and song
2
: stage entertainment consisting of various acts (such as performing animals, comedians, or singers)
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Other Words from vaudeville
vaudevillian
\ ˌvȯd-ˈvil-yən
, ˌväd- , ˌvōd- ; ˌvȯ-də- , ˌvä- , ˌvō- \
noun or adjective
, ˌväd- , ˌvōd- ; ˌvȯ-də- , ˌvä- , ˌvō- \
noun or adjective
Examples of vaudeville in a Sentence
She became a big star in vaudeville.
Recent Examples on the Web
The outlet reported that his dance routines were known for their hip thrusts, sharp hand movements, and vaudeville-style feet and shoulder positions. — Martha Sorren, Woman's Day, "'Dance Moms' Did A Bob Fosse-Inspired Performance & It's So Cool To Watch," 22 Aug. 2019 And the offerings are even more endless now that Summit House has expanded to host Market in the Theater, a market held once a month upstairs in the historic vaudeville theater. — Nancy Ngo, Twin Cities, "Day trip to Chisago City, Lindstrom and Center City for shopping, dining with Scandinavian flair," 7 July 2019 Prior to Oklahoma!, the only other musicals that had really married the genre’s form to plot had also been heavily borrowing from other stage forms — like vaudeville for 1927’s Show Boat, or opera for 1935’s Porgy and Bess. — Aja Romano, Vox, "The new Oklahoma! is a sexy, shocking revival for our times," 2 July 2019 Well Wenches This all-female troupe was founded over 30 years ago and is part-vaudeville and part-sketch comedy, according to the group’s website. — Kaitlyn Bancroft, The Know, "Hear ye, hear ye! Make haste to the Colorado Renaissance Festival," 18 June 2019 When the $140 from that 20-song session ran out, the Mendozas went back on the road — to the sugar-beet fields of Michigan, then a vaudeville show in Detroit. — Paula Allen, ExpressNews.com, "Before she became a Tejano queen, Lydia Mendoza played humble venues," 15 June 2019 Her grandfather was a vaudeville dancer named Peg Leg Jones, and her father, a singer and actor who nurtured his daughter’s love of music, traveled the country hopping freight trains in his youth. — Alison Fenterstock, latimes.com, "Rickie Lee Jones settles down — sort of — at 64: ‘The pressure is off’," 13 June 2019 William Russell Watrous was born on June 8, 1939, in Middletown, Conn., and raised in Niantic, Conn. His father, Ralph, a trombonist who had played in vaudeville and regional bands, became his first role model. — Giovanni Russonello, New York Times, "Bill Watrous, Trombonist and Bandleader, Is Dead at 79," 11 July 2018 In an old vaudeville joke, a fine lady from Philadelphia is enjoying tea with her friend at Boston's Ritz hotel. — Town & Country, "Why is Boston is the Snobbiest City in the World?," 31 Jan. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vaudeville.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for vaudeville
vaudeville
noun
English Language Learners Definition of vaudeville
US
: a type of entertainment that was popular in the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and that had many different performers doing songs, dances, and comic acts
See the full definition for vaudeville in the English Language Learners Dictionary
vaudeville
noun
vaude·ville
| \ ˈvȯd-vəl
\
\
Kids Definition of vaudeville
: theatrical entertainment made up of songs, dances, and comic acts
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