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interlude

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in⋅ter⋅lude

  [in-ter-lood]
Use interlude in a Sentence
–noun
1. an intervening episode, period, space, etc.
2. a short dramatic piece, esp. of a light or farcical character, formerly introduced between the parts or acts of miracle and morality plays or given as part of other entertainments.
3. one of the early English farces or comedies, as those written by John Heywood, which grew out of such pieces.
4. any intermediate performance or entertainment, as between the acts of a play.
5. an instrumental passage or a piece of music rendered between the parts of a song, church service, drama, etc.
Origin:
1275–1325; ME < ML interlūdium, equiv. to L inter- inter- + lūd(us) play + -ium -ium

Related forms:
in⋅ter⋅lu⋅di⋅al, adjective

Synonyms:
1. interval, respite, intermission, pause.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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in·ter·lude   (ĭn'tər-lōōd')   
n.  

  1. An intervening episode, feature, or period of time: "Kerensky has a place in history, of a brief interlude between despotisms" (William Safire).

    1. A short farcical entertainment performed between the acts of a medieval mystery or morality play.

    2. A 16th-century genre of comedy derived from this.

    3. An entertainment between the acts of a play.

  3. Music A short piece inserted between the parts of a longer composition.


[Middle English enterlude, a dramatic entertainment, from Old French entrelude, from Medieval Latin interlūdium : Latin inter-, inter- + Latin lūdus, play; see leid- in Indo-European roots.]
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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Word Origin & History

interlude 
1303, from M.L. interludium "an interlude," from L. inter- "between" + ludus "a play." Originally farcical episodes introduced between acts of mystery plays; transf. sense of "interval in the course of some action" is from 1751.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

interlude

in theatre, early form of English dramatic entertainment, sometimes considered to be the transition between medieval morality plays and Tudor dramas. Interludes were performed at court or at "great houses" by professional minstrels or amateurs at intervals between some other entertainment, such as a banquet, or preceding or following a play, or between acts. Although most interludes were sketches of a nonreligious nature, some plays were called interludes that are today classed as morality plays. John Heywood, one of the most famous interlude writers, brought the genre to perfection in his The Play of the Wether (1533) and The Playe Called the Foure P.P. (c. 1544). The earl of Essex is known to have had a company of interlude players in 1468; the first royal company was apparently established in 1493.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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