scene

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Something seen by a viewer; a view or prospect.
2. n. The place where an action or event occurs: the scene of the crime.
3. n. The place in which the action of a play, movie, novel, or other narrative occurs; a setting.
4. n. A subdivision of an act in a dramatic presentation in which the setting is fixed and the time continuous.
5. n. A shot or series of shots in a movie constituting a unit of continuous related action.
6. n. The scenery and properties for a dramatic presentation.
7. n. A theater stage.
8. n. A real or fictitious episode, especially when described.
9. n. A public display of passion or temper: tried not to make a scene.
10. n. A sphere of activity: observers of the political scene.
11. n. Slang A situation or set of circumstances: a bad scene; a wild scene.
12. idiom. behind the scenes Backstage.
13. idiom. behind the scenes Out of public view; in secret.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A stage; the place where dramatic pieces and other shows are performed or exhibited; that part of a theater in which the acting is done.
2. n. The place in which the action of a play is supposed to occur; the place represented by the stage and its painted slides, hangings, etc.; the surroundings amid which anything is set before the imagination.
3. n. The place where anything is done or takes place: as, the scene of one's labors; the scene of the catastrophe.
4. n. One of the painted slides, hangings, etc., used on the stage of a theater to give an appearance of reality to the action of a play. These are of several kinds, and are known, according to their forms and uses, as flats, drops, borders or soffits, and wings.
5. n. A division of a play or of an act of a play, generally so much as represents what passes between the same persons in the same place; also, some particular incident or situation represented in the course of a play.
6. n. One of a series of events, actions, or situations contributing to form a complete view or spectacle or a written representation or description: as, scenes from the life of Buddha; scenes and sketches of camp life.
7. n. Any exhibition, display, or demonstration; especially, an exhibition of strong feeling, usually of a pathetic or passionate character, between two or more persons.
8. n. A view; a landscape; scenery.
9. n. = Syn.8. Prospect, Landscape, etc. See view.
10. To exhibit; make an exhibition or scene of; display; set out.

Wiktionary

1. n. The location of an event that attracts attention.
2. n. theater The structure on which a spectacle or play is exhibited; the part of a theater in which the acting is done, with its adjuncts and decorations; the stage.
3. n. The decorations and fittings of a stage, representing the place in which the action is supposed to go on; one of the slides, or other devices, used to give an appearance of reality to the action of a play; as, to paint scenes; to shift the scenes; to go behind the scenes.
4. n. So much of a play as passes without change of locality or time, or important change of character; hence, a subdivision of an act; a separate portion of a play, subordinate to the act, but differently determined in different plays; as, an act of four scenes.
5. n. The place, time, circumstance, etc., in which anything occurs, or in which the action of a story, play, or the like, is laid; surroundings amid which anything is set before the imagination; place of occurrence, exhibition, or action.
6. n. An assemblage of objects presented to the view at once; a series of actions and events exhibited in their connection; a spectacle; a show; an exhibition; a view.
7. n. A landscape, or part of a landscape; scenery.
8. n. An exhibition of passionate or strong feeling before others; often, an artificial or affected action, or course of action, done for effect; a theatrical display.
9. n. An element of fiction writing.
10. n. A social environment consisting of a large informal, vague group of people with a uniting interest; their sphere of activity.
11. v. To exhibit as a scene; to make a scene of; to display.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. The structure on which a spectacle or play is exhibited; the part of a theater in which the acting is done, with its adjuncts and decorations; the stage.
2. n. The decorations and fittings of a stage, representing the place in which the action is supposed to go on; one of the slides, or other devices, used to give an appearance of reality to the action of a play.
3. n. So much of a play as passes without change of locality or time, or important change of character; hence, a subdivision of an act; a separate portion of a play, subordinate to the act, but differently determined in different plays.
4. n. The place, time, circumstance, etc., in which anything occurs, or in which the action of a story, play, or the like, is laid; surroundings amid which anything is set before the imagination; place of occurrence, exhibition, or action.
5. n. An assemblage of objects presented to the view at once; a series of actions and events exhibited in their connection; a spectacle; a show; an exhibition; a view.
6. n. A landscape, or part of a landscape; scenery.
7. n. An exhibition of passionate or strong feeling before others; often, an artifical or affected action, or course of action, done for effect; a theatrical display.
8. v. obsolete To exhibit as a scene; to make a scene of; to display.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a situation treated as an observable object
2. n. the context and environment in which something is set
3. n. an incident (real or imaginary)
4. n. a display of bad temper
5. n. the visual percept of a region
6. n. the place where some action occurs
7. n. a consecutive series of pictures that constitutes a unit of action in a film
8. n. graphic art consisting of the graphic or photographic representation of a visual percept
9. n. a subdivision of an act of a play
10. n. the painted structures of a stage set that are intended to suggest a particular locale