Vaudeville is a type of entertainment consisting of short acts such as comedy, singing, and dancing. Vaudeville was especially popular in the early part of the twentieth century.
[mainly US]
In 1901, he broke out of vaudeville and set his sights on Broadway.
regional note: in BRIT, usually use music hall
vaudeville in British English
(ˈvəʊdəvɪl, ˈvɔː-)
noun
1. mainly US and Canadian
variety entertainment consisting of short acts such as acrobatic turns, song-and-dance routines, animal acts, etc, popular esp in the early 20th century
Brit name: music hall
2.
a light or comic theatrical piece interspersed with songs and dances
Word origin
C18: from French, from vaudevire satirical folk song, shortened from chanson du vau de Vire song of the valley of Vire, a district in Normandy where this type of song flourished
vaudeville in American English
(ˈvɔdvɪl; ˈvɑdvɪl; ˈvɔdəvɪl; ˈvɑdəvɑl)
noun
1. US
a.
a stage show consisting of mixed specialty acts, including songs, dances, comic skits, acrobatic performances, etc.
b.
this branch of entertainment generally
2. Rare
a comic theatrical piece interspersed with songs and dances
3. Obsolete
a satirical or topical song, often with pantomime
Word origin
Fr, earlier vau-de-vire, after Vau-de-Vire, the valley of the Vire (in Normandy), famous for light, convivial songs
Examples of 'vaudeville' in a sentence
vaudeville
Besides being a movie theatre, this place presented vaudeville shows.
Arthur, Robert THREE IN ONE (2002)
Or somebody's told them something,' said Wolters, no vaudeville menace but quiet, with weight.
Robert Wilson THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS (2002)
The combination of the suit's antiquated style and Clyde's robust build gave him the appearance of a vaudeville barker.