set piece

[ set pees ]

noun

1. 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.

2. a work of art, literature, music, etc., having a prescribed thematic and formal structure:

   the set pieces of Restoration comedy.

3. a scene, action, or the like, having a conventional form and functioning as part of the structure of a work of art, literature, etc.
4. a military operation carried out according to a rigid plan.
5. 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.

6. (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.
7. an arrangement of slow-burning fireworks forming a design or composition when lighted.

set piece

noun

1. a work of literature, music, etc, often having a conventional or prescribed theme, intended to create an impressive effect
2. a piece of scenery built to stand independently as part of a stage set
3. a display of fireworks
4. 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of set piece¹

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

The highs are most frequently supplied by the film’s magnificent musical numbers, which boast the stellar choreography typical of Chu’s work while highlighting the movie’s meticulous production design and practical set pieces.

From Salon

But whether or not this is How It Was, it’s easy enough to accept that it’s How It Might Have Been; the production and set pieces feel right, the dialogue is more speech than speeches.

From Los Angeles Times

"Credit where credit is due, they have a great set piece, but I am not just going to roll over and let them have it."

From BBC

Composed without arias or set pieces, Dargomyzhsky’s score illuminates Pushkin’s words and paves the way for the truly Russian opera, however grander, of Mussorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov.

From Los Angeles Times

In a stark transformation, this season Forest have the best xG against figure from set pieces - just 1.23 - in the league.

From BBC

Related Words

• scenery
• tableau