theatre

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the·a·tre

(thē′ə-tər)

Variant of theater.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

theatre

(ˈθɪətə) or

theater

1. (Theatre)

a. a building designed for the performance of plays, operas, etc

b. (as modifier): a theatre ticket.

c. (in combination): a theatregoer.

2. a large room or hall, usually with a raised platform and tiered seats for an audience, used for lectures, film shows, etc

3. (Surgery) Also called: operating theatre a room in a hospital or other medical centre equipped for surgical operations

4. (Theatre) plays regarded collectively as a form of art

5. (Theatre) the theatre the world of actors, theatrical companies, etc: the glamour of the theatre.

6. a setting for dramatic or important events

7. (Theatre) writing that is suitable for dramatic presentation: a good piece of theatre.

8. (Film) US and Austral and NZ the usual word for cinema¹

9. (Military) a major area of military activity: the theatre of operations.

10. (Architecture) a circular or semicircular open-air building with tiers of seats

[C14: from Latin theātrum, from Greek theatron place for viewing, from theasthai to look at; related to Greek thauma miracle]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

the•a•ter

or thea•tre

(ˈθi ə tər, ˈθi^ə-)

n.

1. a building, part of a building, or an outdoor area for dramatic presentations, stage entertainments, or motion-picture shows.

2. a room or hall with tiers of seats, used for lectures, surgical demonstrations, etc.: Students crowded into the operating theater.

a. the theater, dramatic performances as a branch of art; the drama, esp. as a profession.

b. a particular type, style, or category of this art: musical theater.

4. dramatic works collectively, as of literature, a nation, or an author (often prec. by the): the Elizabethan theater.

5. the quality or effectiveness of dramatic performance.

a. a place of action; area of activity.

b. an area or region where military operations are under way: the Pacific theater.

7. a natural formation of land rising by steps or gradations.

[1325–75; Middle English < Latin theātrum < Greek théātron seeing place, theater =theā-, s. of theâsthai to view + -tron suffix of means or place]

theatre

box office - An office in a theatre for booking seats, originally from "hiring a box."
in the wings - An expression from the theatre, referring to the areas on the sides of the stage hidden from the audience.
scenery, scenic - Scenery was originally theatrical—"a stage depiction of nature"—and it came to be applied to nature itself; scenic first pertained to the theatre and meant "dramatic, theatrical."
house - The audience at a theatre.

Theatre

an open stage; a series of passing scenes; an audience or “house”, 1602; the dramatic work of a playwright, collectively, 1640.

Examples: theatre of action, 1774; of all his brutalities, 1654; of violent earthquakes, 1850; of Gods, 1634; of hills, 1818; of misery, 1640; of public life, 1855; of rising terraces, 1886; of valour, 1615; of war; of water, 1645; of the whole world, 1581.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	theatre - a building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented; "the house was full" theater, house arena theater, theater in the round - a theater arranged with seats around at least three sides of the stage ticket booth, ticket office, box office - the office where tickets of admission are sold building, edifice - a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place; "there was a three-story building on the corner"; "it was an imposing edifice" movie house, movie theater, movie theatre, picture palace, cinema - a theater where films are shown dress circle, circle - a curved section or tier of seats in a hall or theater or opera house; usually the first tier above the orchestra; "they had excellent seats in the dress circle" dinner theater, dinner theatre - a theater at which dinner is included in the price of admission dressing room - a room in which you can change clothes greenroom - a backstage room in a theater where performers rest or have visitors home theater, home theatre - television and video equipment designed to reproduce in the home the experience of being in a movie theater little theater, little theatre - a small theater for experimental drama or collegiate or community groups music hall, vaudeville theater, vaudeville theatre - a theater in which vaudeville is staged opera house, opera - a building where musical dramas are performed orchestra - seating on the main floor in a theater orchestra pit, pit - lowered area in front of a stage where an orchestra accompanies the performers parquet - seating on the main floor between the orchestra and the parquet circle parquet circle, parterre - seating at the rear of the main floor (beneath the balconies) stage - a large platform on which people can stand and can be seen by an audience; "he clambered up onto the stage and got the actors to help him into the box" standing room - room for passengers or spectators to stand; "there was standing room for thousands more people" theater stage, theatre stage - a stage in a theater on which actors can perform tiered seat - seating that is arranged in sloping tiers so that spectators in the back can see over the heads of those in front dramatic art, dramaturgy, theater, theatre, dramatics - the art of writing and producing plays
	2.	theatre - the art of writing and producing plays dramatic art, dramaturgy, theater, dramatics amphitheater, amphitheatre - a sloping gallery with seats for spectators (as in an operating room or theater) closed-circuit television - a television system that is not used for broadcasting but is connected by cables to designated monitors (as in a factory or theater) theater, theatre, house - a building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented; "the house was full" communicating, communication - the activity of communicating; the activity of conveying information; "they could not act without official communication from Moscow" stage - the theater as a profession (usually `the stage'); "an early movie simply showed a long kiss by two actors of the contemporary stage" dramatic composition, dramatic work - a play for performance on the stage or television or in a movie etc. dramatic irony - (theater) irony that occurs when the meaning of the situation is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play flies - (theater) the space over the stage (out of view of the audience) used to store scenery (drop curtains) seat, place - a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane); "he booked their seats in advance"; "he sat in someone else's place" booking clerk, ticket agent - someone who sells tickets (e.g., theater seats or travel accommodations) playact, roleplay, act, play - perform on a stage or theater; "She acts in this play"; "He acted in `Julius Caesar'"; "I played in `A Christmas Carol'" stooge - act as the stooge; "His role was to stooge for the popular comedian" enter - come on stage support - play a subordinate role to (another performer); "Olivier supported Gielgud beautifully in the second act" star - be the star in a performance appear - appear as a character on stage or appear in a play, etc.; "Gielgud appears briefly in this movie"; "She appeared in `Hamlet' on the London stage" co-star - be the co-star in a performance ham, ham it up, overact, overplay - exaggerate one's acting underact, underplay - act (a role) with great restraint upstage - at or toward the rear of the stage; "the dancers were directed to move upstage" downstage - at or toward the front of the stage; "the actors moved further and further downstage"
	3.	theatre - a region in which active military operations are in progress; "the army was in the field awaiting action"; "he served in the Vietnam theater for three years" field of operations, theater of operations, theatre of operations, theater, field armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine - the military forces of a nation; "their military is the largest in the region"; "the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker" theater of war, theatre of war - the entire land, sea, and air area that may become or is directly involved in war operations region - a large indefinite location on the surface of the Earth; "penguins inhabit the polar regions" combat area, combat zone - a military area where combat forces operate

theatre

noun

1. playhouse, auditorium, coliseum, amphitheatre When we went to the theatre it was a very big event.

2. arena, setting, site, scene, field or sphere or place of action The area has often been a theatre of war.

3. hall, room, auditorium a well equipped library and the main lecture theatre

the theatre acting, the stage, drama, the boards (informal), show business, show biz (informal), performing on the stage, the dramatic arts You can move on to work in the films and the theatre.

Related words
like theatromania

Theatre terms

act, backstage, catastrophe, chorus, circle, Comédie Française, coup de théâtre, crush bar, cue, curtain, curtain call, curtain-raiser, curtain speech, downstage, dramatis personae, entr'acte, entrance, exit, first night, first-night nerves, flat, flies, fluff, front of house, gallery, gods, greasepaint, greenroom, ham, house, juvenile, leading lady, leading man, lines, monologue, noises off, off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway, offstage, opera house, orchestra or orchestra pit, overact, prompt, prompter, prop, proscenium arch, resting, role, scene, scene dock or bay, scenery, script, soliloquy, soubrette, speech, stage, stage direction, stage door, stage fright, stagehand, stage left, stage manager, stage right, stage-struck, stage whisper, stalls, theatre-in-the-round, Thespian, understudy, unities, upstage, wings

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

مَسْرَحمُشاهَدَة المَسْرَحِيّاتطاوِلَة العَمَلِيّات الجِراحِيَّه

divadlooperační sál

teateroperationsstue

Theater Bühne Operationssaal

θέατρο

teatro

teatteri

théâtre

kazalište

leikhúsleikrit; leikhússkurîstofa

teatro cinema rappresentazione filodrammatica sala operatoria teatrale

劇場

극장

teatrališkumasteatrinisteatrovaidinimai

operāciju zāleteātris

operačná sála

teater

โรงละคร

tiyatro ameliyathane

rạp hát

剧场戏院手术室

theatre

theater (US) [ˈθɪətəʳ] N

1. (= building) → teatro m
to go to the theatre → ir al teatro
lecture theatre → aula f
operating theatre → sala f de operaciones

2. (= profession) → teatro m
she's been working in the theatre for 20 years → lleva trabajando el teatro 20 años

3. (= drama) → teatro m
theatre of the absurd → teatro m del absurdo

4. (fig) → teatro m, escenario m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

theatre

[ˈθɪətə^r] (British) theater (US)

(place where plays are put on) → théâtre m
to go to the theatre → aller au théâtre

(= drama) → théâtre m
theatre for children → théâtre pour enfants

(work of acting in or producing plays) → théâtre m
a career in the theatre → une carrière dans le théâtre

(US) (also movie theater) → cinéma m

(in hospital) (also operating theatre) → salle f d'opération

(MILITARY) → théâtre m theatre of war

modif [critic] → de théâtre; [group, audience, school] → de théâtre; [owner, manager] → de théâtre; [ticket] → de théâtre; [production] → théâtral(e) theatre company, theatre-goertheatre company n → troupe f de théâtre, compagnie f théâtraletheatre-goer [ˈθɪətə^rgəʊə^r] (British) theatregoer (British) theatergoer (US) n → habitué(e) m/f du théâtre
He's a keen theatre-goer
BUT Il va beaucoup au théâtre.
The number of theatre-goers has declined
BUT Il y a moins de gens qui vont au théâtre.theatre of war n → théâtre m des hostilités

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

theatre

, (US) theater

→ Theater nt; to go to the theatre → ins Theater gehen; what’s on at the theatre? → was wird im Theater gegeben?

no pl (= theatrical business, drama) → Theater nt; he’s always been keen on (the) theatre → er war schon immer theaterbegeistert; he has been in (the) theatre all his life → er war sein Leben lang beim Theater; not all Shaw’s plays are good theatre → nicht alle Stücke von Shaw eignen sich für die Bühne

(Brit: = operating theatre) → Operationssaal m

(= scene of events) → Schauplatz m; theatre of war → Kriegsschauplatz m; theatre of operations → Schauplatz m → der Handlungen

theatre

, (US) theater:

theatre company

n → Theaterensemble nt; (touring) → Schauspiel- or Theatertruppe f

theatre critic

n → Theaterkritiker(in) m(f)

theatregoer, (US) theatergoer

n → Theaterbesucher(in) m(f)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

theatre

theater (Am) [ˈθɪətəʳ] n → teatro
to go to the theatre → andare a teatro
operating theatre → sala operatoria
lecture theatre → auditorium m inv
theatre of war → teatro di guerra

theatre

(ˈθiətə) (American) theater noun

1. a place where plays, operas etc are publicly performed.

2. plays in general; any theatre. Are you going to the theatre tonight?

3. (also ˈoperating-theatre) a room in a hospital where surgical operations are performed. Take the patient to the theatre; (also adjective) a theatre nurse.

theˈatrical (-ˈӕ-) adjective

1. of theatres or acting. a theatrical performance/career.

2. (behaving) as if in a play; over-dramatic. theatrical behaviour.

theˈatrically adverb

theˌatriˈcality (θiatriˈkӕ-) noun

theˈatricals (-ˈӕ-) noun plural

dramatic performances. He's very interested in amateur theatricals.

the theatre

1. the profession of actors. He's in the theatre.

2. drama. His special interest is the theatre.

theatre

→ مَسْرَح divadlo teater Theater θέατρο teatro teatteri théâtre kazalište teatro 劇場 극장 theater teater teatr teatro театр teater โรงละคร tiyatro rạp hát 剧场

Theatre

References in classic literature ?

For this new edition adds to the original merits of the work the very substantial charm of abundant illustrations, first-rate in subject and execution, and of three kinds--copper-plate likenesses of actors and other personages connected with theatrical history; a series of delicate, picturesque, highly detailed woodcuts of theatrical topography, chiefly the little old theatres; and, by way of tail-pieces to the chapters, a second series of woodcuts of a vigour and reality of information, within very limited compass, which make one think of Callot and the German [76] "little masters," depicting Garrick and other famous actors in their favourite scenes.

View in context

Even this resource shortly failed him; his irregularities were too great to admit of his earning the wretched pittance he might thus have procured, and he was actually reduced to a state bordering on starvation, only procuring a trifle occasionally by borrowing it of some old companion, or by obtaining an appearance at one or other of the commonest of the minor theatres; and when he did earn anything it was spent in the old way.

View in context

The answer led him to the conclusion that '13 A' occupied the situation in the hotel which had been described by his brother and sister as the situation of '14.' He asked next for the Visitors' List; and found that the French gentleman who then occupied '13 A,' was the proprietor of a theatre in Paris, personally well known to him.

View in context

Just then they drove up to the Duke of York's, so Alexander did not commit himself, but followed Mainhall into the theatre. When they entered the stage-box on the left the first act was well under way, the scene being the interior of a cabin in the south of Ireland.

View in context

The world hath been often compared to the theatre; and many grave writers, as well as the poets, have considered human life as a great drama, resembling, in almost every particular, those scenical representations which Thespis is first reported to have invented, and which have been since received with so much approbation and delight in all polite countries.

View in context

Ecclesford and its theatre, with its arrangements and dresses, rehearsals and jokes, was his never-failing subject, and to boast of the past his only consolation.

View in context

Possessed myself of a strong stomach and a hard head, inured to hardship, cruelty, and brutality, nevertheless I found, as I came to manhood, that I unconsciously protected myself from the hurt of the trained-animal turn by getting up and leaving the theatre whenever such turns came on the stage.

View in context

The theatre gives you a good deal of insight, and as I told you in my last, I go a good deal to places of amusement.

View in context

They assembled by hundreds, and even thousands, in the great Theatre of San Carlo, to do--what?

View in context

There was a dramatist whose name of late had been much heard at Heidelberg, and the winter before one of his plays had been given at the theatre amid the cheers of adherents and the hisses of decent people.

View in context

The new piece being a decided hit, was announced for every evening of performance until further notice, and the evenings when the theatre was closed, were reduced from three in the week to two.

View in context

The last notes of the introduction to the opera were being played, and the seats in the pit were all filled, when Pesca and I reached the theatre.