parterre

[ pahr-tair ]

noun
  1. Also called parquet circle. the rear section of seats, and sometimes also the side sections, of the main floor of a theater, concert hall, or opera house.

  2. an ornamental arrangement of flower beds of different shapes and sizes.

Origin of parterre

1
1630–40; <French, noun use of phrase par terre on the ground. See per, terra

Other words from parterre

  • par·terred, adjective

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British Dictionary definitions for parterre

parterre

/ (pɑːˈtɛə) /


noun
  1. a formally patterned flower garden

  2. British and Irish the pit in a theatre

  1. US another name for parquet circle

Origin of parterre

1
C17: from French, from par along + terre ground

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012