afterpiece

[ af-ter-pees, ahf- ]

noun

1. a short dramatic piece performed after a featured play.

afterpiece

/ ˈɑːftəˌpiːs /

noun

1. a brief usually comic dramatic piece presented after a play

Word History and Origins

Origin of afterpiece¹

First recorded in 1770–80; after + piece

Example Sentences

Their antics earned the notice of Billboard magazine, whose reviewer wrote, “Martin and Lewis do an afterpiece that has all the makings of a sock act,” using showbiz slang for a successful show.

From New York Times

King's College Chapel was the scene originally intended for this outrage; but the graver academic programme there lasted so long that the Queen could not stay for the afterpiece.

From Project Gutenberg

“The hideous comedy of the marriage market has been a stock topic with novelists from Thackeray downwards; but Mr. Moore goes deep into the yet more hideous tragedy which forms its afterpiece.”

From Project Gutenberg

The fall of man is the sombre afterpiece of this intensely interesting drama.

From Project Gutenberg

Both works are short afterpieces intended to complement or contrast with the full-length play on the day's bill and both moralize conspicuously; the two plays could, however, hardly be more different in tone and technique.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• climax
• conclusion
• denouement