Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for

set piece

[ set pees ]

noun

  1. Theater. a piece of scenery used as part of a stage set, as a profile or three-dimensional construction built to stand independently on the stage floor:

    A few set pieces simulating rocks and a fence constituted the scenery for the first act.

  2. a work of art, literature, music, etc., having a prescribed thematic and formal structure:

    the set pieces of Restoration comedy.

  3. a scene, action, or the like, having a conventional form and functioning as part of the structure of a work of art, literature, etc.
  4. a military operation carried out according to a rigid plan.
  5. Also called set play. Sports. a coordinated maneuver with team players in a preplanned formation when the ball re-enters active play, as a corner kick in soccer:

    The team’s dedicated practice time for set pieces paid off in their penalty kick results this year.

  6. (in a novel, narrative poem, or the like) a passage more or less extraneous to the sequence of events, introduced to supply background, color, or the like.
  7. an arrangement of slow-burning fireworks forming a design or composition when lighted.


set piece

noun

  1. a work of literature, music, etc, often having a conventional or prescribed theme, intended to create an impressive effect
  2. a piece of scenery built to stand independently as part of a stage set
  3. a display of fireworks
  4. sport a rehearsed team manoeuvre, usually attempted in continuous games at a restart of play, esp when the other side has been penalized for improper play
“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
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of set piece1

First recorded in 1840–50
Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

With its live instrumentation, intricate costuming, hundreds of dancers and massive set pieces, the show stands in handcrafted defiance.

From

Yet the individual set pieces were so vivid and funny and weird that the tale became one about Gaga’s embrace of her role as music’s greatest kook.

From

This is an attraction, from the queue to its ending, of constant reveals — tunnels give way to gorgeous atriums, and each set piece aims to be larger, more lively than the last.

From

"The only thing is if you can be very difficult to play against, very organised and maybe score a wonder goal or a set piece. I just don't see it happening."

From

Even if the film’s practical set pieces had a layer of CGI smoothing slapped over them, the sprawling production design made “Wicked” feel like a throwback to classic-era musicals.

From

Advertisement

Related Words

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


set outsetpoint