interlude

[ in-ter-lood ]

noun

1. an intervening episode, period, space, etc.

   Synonyms: pause, intermission, respite, interval

2. a short dramatic piece, especially of a light or farcical character, formerly introduced between the parts or acts of miracle and morality plays or given as part of other entertainments.
3. one of the early English farces or comedies, as those written by John Heywood, which grew out of such pieces.
4. any intermediate performance or entertainment, as between the acts of a play.
5. an instrumental passage or a piece of music rendered between the parts of a song, church service, drama, etc.

interlude

/ ˈɪntəˌluːd /

noun

1. a period of time or different activity between longer periods, processes, or events; episode or interval
2. theatre a short dramatic piece played separately or as part of a longer entertainment, common in 16th-century England
3. a brief piece of music, dance, etc, given between the sections of another performance

Other Words From

• inter·ludi·al adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of interlude¹

1275–1325; Middle English < Medieval Latin interlūdium, equivalent to Latin inter- inter- + lūd ( us ) play + -ium -ium

Word History and Origins

Origin of interlude¹

C14: from Medieval Latin interlūdium, from Latin inter- + lūdus play

Example Sentences

It all percolates in the shadowy urban allure of Paul Guilhaume’s cinematography, especially as it plays across its leading ladies’ faces, turning skin into a mood palette, burnishing all the musical interludes.

From Los Angeles Times

Typically, once calves reach six or eight months, they are weaned and sent to larger, industrial pastures to roam in vast herds, fattening on grass, though this pastoral interlude is a short one.

From Salon

Principle, whose 1984 anthem Your Love is ground zero for Chicago house, also appears in a spoken-word interlude on the album, describing how the scene “went all to hell when the money came into it”.

From BBC

Still, this time once they played a little musical interlude from Trump's playlist, he abruptly decided he didn't want to take any more questions.

From Salon

But the rage, breakup-esque tunes are also paired with glimmering tracks of hope like “Muchas Gracias,” which includes an angelic interlude that poses the eternal question: How does one heal a broken heart?

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• breathing space
• idyll
• lull
• respite