set piece
Theater. a piece of scenery used as part of a stage set, as a profile or three-dimensional construction built to stand independently on the stage floor: A few set pieces simulating rocks and a fence constituted the scenery for the first act.
a work of art, literature, music, etc., having a prescribed thematic and formal structure: the set pieces of Restoration comedy.
a scene, action, or the like, having a conventional form and functioning as part of the structure of a work of art, literature, etc.
a military operation carried out according to a rigid plan.
Also called set play .Sports. a coordinated maneuver with team players in a preplanned formation when the ball re-enters active play, as a corner kick in soccer: The team’s dedicated practice time for set pieces paid off in their penalty kick results this year.
(in a novel, narrative poem, or the like) a passage more or less extraneous to the sequence of events, introduced to supply background, color, or the like.
an arrangement of slow-burning fireworks forming a design or composition when lighted.
Origin of set piece
1Words Nearby set piece
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use set piece in a sentence
Each new track crashes into the action to ensure that every scene carries enough energy to turn it into a set piece of its own—a trick that makes that long running time speed by.
Counterpoint: Disney’s Girlboss ‘Cruella’ Actually Rules | Kevin Fallon | May 28, 2021 | The Daily BeastThe real joy of the film, of course, is in its set pieces, which relish the extravaganzas of gore with which Snyder first made a name for himself.
Why Isn’t Sean Spicer Mauled by Zombies in Zack Snyder’s ‘Army of the Dead?’ | Melissa Leon | May 21, 2021 | The Daily BeastThe Americans were not very good on set pieces and conceded a counterattacking goal.
USMNT flashes its potential in win over Jamaica. The summer and fall hold true answers. | Steven Goff | March 25, 2021 | Washington PostMission statements about racial justice and prompt responses to current events are also important, but they must be more than set pieces.
For younger job seekers, diversity and inclusion in the workplace aren’t a preference. They’re a requirement. | Jennifer Miller | February 18, 2021 | Washington Post“Cyberpunk 2077” is exciting, often dialing up the action as high as possible during fun set pieces, like when you infiltrate a swanky hotel or a crowded parade.
‘Cyberpunk 2077’ is a thrill ride through an ugly, unexamined world | Elise Favis | December 11, 2020 | Washington Post
It opens with a bombastic set piece, but it was far less compelling than many of the little, dialogue-driven conflicts that arose.
‘Game of Thrones’ Interactive FanFiction: Whoops, My Friend Was Speared in the Throat | Alec Kubas-Meyer | December 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThese big, set-piece events shove the royalty in their face.
British Republicans Hail New Royal Baby As Good Recruiting Tool | Tom Sykes | September 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThis is going to be another high-testosterone showdown set piece.
Those were the set-piece questions of what used to be called classical education.
And the immigration set piece seems potentially quite staggering.
Where Have These Political Minds Been for the Last Two Years? | Michael Tomasky | August 10, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTIn the meantime, the trees line the avenues in skeleton rows, like a pyrotechnic set-piece before it is ignited.
America To-day, Observations and Reflections | William ArcherThere is contrast enough, but he contrasts set-piece with set-piece, scene with scene, not act with act.
Richard Wagner | John F. RuncimanThe on-set piece and facing may be cut from one piece, but the fitting is more troublesome.
Textiles and Clothing | Kate Heintz WatsonAt the last set piece there was a tremendous shout of "Long live the King!"
Memoirs of the Duchesse de Dino v.2/3, 1836-1840 | Duchesse De DinoThere was an impression that a set piece had been prepared, and that this was its beginning.
Day and Night Stories | Algernon Blackwood
British Dictionary definitions for set piece
a work of literature, music, etc, often having a conventional or prescribed theme, intended to create an impressive effect
a piece of scenery built to stand independently as part of a stage set
a display of fireworks
sport a rehearsed team manoeuvre, usually attempted in continuous games at a restart of play, esp when the other side has been penalized for improper play
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
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