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farce - 5 dictionary results

farce

  [fahrs] noun, verb, farced, farc⋅ing.
Use farce in a Sentence
–noun
1. a light, humorous play in which the plot depends upon a skillfully exploited situation rather than upon the development of character.
2. humor of the type displayed in such works.
3. foolish show; mockery; a ridiculous sham.
4. Cookery. forcemeat.
–verb (used with object)
5. to season (a speech or composition), esp. with witty material.
6. Obsolete. to stuff; cram.
Origin:
1300–50; (n.) ME fars stuffing < MF farce < VL *farsa, n. use of fem. of L farsus, earlier fartus stuffed, ptp. of farcīre to stuff; (v.) ME farsen < OF farcir < L farcīre

Synonyms:
3. burlesque, travesty.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To farce
farce   (färs)   
n.  
    1. A light dramatic work in which highly improbable plot situations, exaggerated characters, and often slapstick elements are used for humorous effect.
    2. The branch of literature constituting such works.
    3. The broad or spirited humor characteristic of such works.
  2. A ludicrous, empty show; a mockery: The fixed election was a farce.
  3. A seasoned stuffing, as for roasted turkey.
tr.v.   farced, farc·ing, farc·es
  1. To pad (a speech, for example) with jokes or witticisms.
  2. To stuff, as for roasting.

[Middle English farse, stuffing, from Old French farce, stuffing, interpolation, interlude, from Vulgar Latin *farsa, from feminine of farsus, variant of fartus, past participle of farcīre, to stuff.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Farce

Farce\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Farced, p. pr. & vb. n. Farcing.] [F. Farcir, L. farcire; akin to Gr. ???????? to fence in, stop up. Cf. Force to stuff, Diaphragm, Frequent, Farcy, Farse.]

1. To stuff with forcemeat; hence, to fill with mingled ingredients; to fill full; to stuff. [Obs.]

The first principles of religion should not be farced with school points and private tenets. --Bp. Sanderson.

His tippet was aye farsed full of knives. --Chaucer.

2. To render fat. [Obs.]

If thou wouldst farce thy lean ribs. --B. Jonson.

3. To swell out; to render pompous. [Obs.]

Farcing his letter with fustian. --Sandys.

Farce

Farce\, n. [F. farce, from L. farsus (also sometimes farctus), p. p. pf farcire. See Farce, v. t.]

1. (Cookery) Stuffing, or mixture of viands, like that used on dressing a fowl; forcemeat.

2. A low style of comedy; a dramatic composition marked by low humor, generally written with little regard to regularity or method, and abounding with ludicrous incidents and expressions.

Farce is that in poetry which "grotesque" is in a picture: the persons and action of a farce are all unnatural, and the manners false. --Dryden.

3. Ridiculous or empty show; as, a mere farce. "The farce of state." --Pope.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : farce
Spanish: farsa,
German: der Schwank,
Japanese: 笑劇
More Translations »

farce 
1530, from M.Fr. farce "comic interlude in a mystery play," lit. "stuffing," from O.Fr. farcir "to stuff," from L. farcire, perhaps related to frequens "crowded." The pseudo-L. farsia was applied 13c. in France and England to praise phrases inserted into liturgical formulae (e.g. between kyrie and eleison), then in O.Fr. farce was extended to the impromptu buffoonery among actors that was a feature of religious stage plays.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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