divertissement

Definitions  ·  Examples  ·  Pronunciations  ·  Etymologies  ·  Related  ·  Statistics  ·  Comments (1)  · 
“
The divertissement was anything but diverting, when we reflect upon the impending fate of the "Rotunda," in which it was performed No such damp was, however, thrown over the evolutions of "Ducrow's beautiful horses and equestrian artistes_," including "the new grand entrιe, and cavalcade of Amazons."

View all »
Definitions (4)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. noun A short performance, typically a ballet, that is presented as an interlude in an opera or play.
  2. noun Music See divertimento.
  3. noun A diversion; an amusement.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet

Toggle elsewhere links Elsewhere on the web

View all »
Examples (50)

  • I would often accompany him “up the road” on horseback to the Clubhouse, there to exhibit my youthful feats of horsemanship, for the divertissement of Mr. Dane and his friends. —  Before the War, and After the Union. An Autobiography.
  • On looking at his watch he found it was close on midnight; and, not sorry for the divertissement, he made up his fire and made himself his nightly pot of tea. —  AHMM,November2007
  • After the concert a divertissement was to take place which must excite the public curiosity. —  Memoirs of Robert-Houdin
  • On the other hand, if one accepts the argument that any worth-while climbing must be flavored with the intoxicating spice of danger, the use of pads is an opportunity to bid up a game otherwise considered an inconsequential divertissement: One pad, two pads, three pads, or more for a particular high-ball?
  • If one accepts the argument that any worth-while climbing must be flavored with the intoxicating spice of danger, the use of pads is an opportunity to bid up a game otherwise considered an inconsequential divertissement: One pad, two pads, three pads, or more for a particular high-ball?
More examples »
 

Tags

divertissement hasn't been tagged yet.

Sign up or sign in to add tags.

Stats

This word has been looked up 63 times.

stop updating
On Twitter

Photos from

flickr images

Etymologies (1)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. French, from divertir, to divert, from Old French; see divert.
 

Pronunciations
Record your own »
by American Heritage

Charts
frequency chart

Bubble size: how much this word was used in a year

Bubble height: used more or less than expected, vs. all uses evenly distributed

You can expect to see this word about once a year.

Recently looked up

sunrise · quadrumanous · dreamily · high-wrought · fibula

Recent Favorites

pygopagus · sanglant · Astacus · sweetbread · qualms

Recent Pronunciations

oh for heaven's sake · embodies · silence · spell it rite · britney