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intermezzo

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Intermezzo
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in⋅ter⋅mez⋅zo

  [in-ter-met-soh, -med-zoh]
Use intermezzo in a Sentence
–noun, plural -mez⋅zos, -mez⋅zi  [-met-see, -med-zee] ,
1. a short dramatic, musical, or other entertainment of light character, introduced between the acts of a drama or opera.
2. a short musical composition between main divisions of an extended musical work.
3. a short, independent musical composition.
Origin:
1805–15; < It < LL intermedium; see intermediary
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Intermezzo
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in·ter·mez·zo   (ĭn'tər-mět'sō, -měd'zō)   
n.   pl. in·ter·mez·zos or in·ter·mez·zi (-sē, -zē)

  1. A brief entertainment between two acts of a play; an entr'acte.

  2. Music

    1. A short movement separating the major sections of a lengthy composition or work.

    2. An independent instrumental composition having the character of such a movement.


[Italian, from Latin intermedius, intermediate; see intermediate.]
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

intermezzo 
1834, from It. intermezzo, from L. intermedius (see intermediate).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

intermezzo

in music and theatre, an entertainment performed between the acts of a play; also a light instrumental composition. In the late 15th and 16th centuries, classical and contemporary plays were performed with intermezzi written by the finest composers of the time and consisting of solo songs, madrigals and other part-songs, dance, and, occasionally, spoken dialogue. In subject matter, they were often allegorical or pastoral.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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