interlude
Americannoun
-
an intervening episode, period, space, etc.
- Synonyms:
- pause, intermission, respite, interval
-
a short dramatic piece, especially of a light or farcical character, formerly introduced between the parts or acts of miracle and morality plays or given as part of other entertainments.
-
one of the early English farces or comedies, as those written by John Heywood, which grew out of such pieces.
-
any intermediate performance or entertainment, as between the acts of a play.
-
an instrumental passage or a piece of music rendered between the parts of a song, church service, drama, etc.
noun
-
a period of time or different activity between longer periods, processes, or events; episode or interval
-
theatre a short dramatic piece played separately or as part of a longer entertainment, common in 16th-century England
-
a brief piece of music, dance, etc, given between the sections of another performance
Other Word Forms
- interludial adjective
Etymology
Origin of interlude
1275–1325; Middle English < Medieval Latin interlūdium, equivalent to Latin inter- inter- + lūd ( us ) play + -ium -ium
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Temperatures have been above average overall but there were colder interludes and some places have seen significant snow.
From BBC
If your mouth opens wide during any of the supposedly terrifying interludes, it’s more likely to form a yawn than a cry.
The first group in the rogues’ gallery are the British children of World War II. Lennon was born in the interlude between air raids.
It’s too early to tell, of course, whether these deals mark a lasting peace or a brief interlude before fighting resumes.
The Tuesday hearing is an interlude in a longer hearing that began last November over the LA Alliance’s contention that the city repeatedly failed to comply with the 2022 settlement.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
