stage effect

American  

noun

1. a highly spectacular or artificial device or means, especially for attracting attention.

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stage effect British  

noun

1. a special effect created on the stage by lighting, sound, etc

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Etymology

Origin of stage effect

First recorded in 1785–95

Example Sentences

A sweet stage effect embroiders the evening’s final moments, as Celie’s happiness reaches full flower.

From Washington Post • Aug. 25, 2022

The one-ton, 6,000-bead chandelier is not only Broadway’s most famous stage effect, but also its oldest.

From New York Times • Sep. 16, 2021

A stage effect didn’t quite work, and Ms. Levy noticed.

From New York Times • Aug. 9, 2017

The street lamps were lit against a sky still light, a stage effect that almost makes me cry.

From The Guardian • Jul. 19, 2012

They can be true only if Professor Thorndike's theory is correct,—that the delineation of character is solely for stage effect.

From The Critics Versus Shakspere A Brief for the Defendant by Smith, Francis Asbury