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scene

Syllabification: (scene)
Pronunciation: /sēn/

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Definition of scene

noun

  • 1the place where an incident in real life or fiction occurs or occurred:the emergency team were among the first on the scene relatives left flowers at the scene of the crash
  • a place, with the people, objects, and events in it, regarded as having a particular character or making a particular impression:a scene of carnage
  • a landscape:thick snow had turned the scene outside into a picture postcard
  • an incident of a specified nature:there had already been some scenes of violence
  • a place or representation of an incident:scenes of 1930s America
  • [with modifier] a specified area of activity or interest:the country music scene
  • [usually in singular] a public display of emotion or anger:she was loath to make a scene in the office
  • 2a sequence of continuous action in a play, movie, opera, or book:a scene from Brando’s first film
  • a subdivision of an act of a play in which the time is continuous and the setting fixed and which does not usually involve a change of characters:beginning at Act One, Scene One
  • [usually as modifier] the pieces of scenery used in a play or opera:scene changes

Phrases

behind the scenes

out of sight of the public at a theater or organization.
secretly:diplomatic maneuvers going on behind the scenes

change of scene

another way of saying change of scenery (see scenery).

come (or appear or arrive) on the scene

arrive; appear.

hit (or make) the scene

informal way of saying come on the scene above.

not one's scene

informal not something one enjoys or is interested in:sorry, that witchcraft stuff is not my scene

set the scene

describe a place or situation in which something is about to happen.
create the conditions for a future event:the congressman’s speech set the scene for a bitter debate

Origin:

mid 16th century (denoting a subdivision of a play, or (a piece of) stage scenery): from Latin scena, from Greek skēnē 'tent, stage'

scene in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of scene in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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