interlude

English

Etymology

Latin inter- (“between”) + ludo (“to play”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɪntə(ɹ)luːd/, /ˈɪntə(ɹ)ljuːd/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

interlude (plural interludes)

1. An intervening episode, etc.
2. An entertainment between the acts of a play.
   • 1632 (indicated as 1633), William Prynne, “Actus 3, Scena Sexta”, in Histrio-mastix. The Players Scourge, or, Actors Tragædie, […], London: […] E[lizabeth] A[llde,] [Thomas Cotes, Augustine Matthews] and W[illiam] I[ones] for Michael Sparke, […], →OCLC, 1st part, page 123:

     [O]ur ovvne Statutes […] preciſely prohibit the ſatyricall depraving, traducing, or derogation of the Common Prayer-Booke, and of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper in any Enterludes, Playes or Rimes, (in vvhich kinde Playes had been formerly peccant) under ſevere penalties.

3. (music) A short piece put between the parts of a longer composition.

Alternative forms

• enterlude (obsolete)

Translations

intervening episode etc

• Bulgarian: промеждутъчен епизод m (promeždutǎčen epizod)
• French: interlude (fr) m
• German: Zwischenspiel n
• Polish: wstawka (pl) f
• Russian: интерлю́дия (ru) f (intɛrljúdija)

entertainment between the acts of a play

• Bulgarian: интерлюдия f (interljudija)
• Catalan: interludi m
• Esperanto: interakto
• Finnish: välinäytös
• French: interlude (fr) m
• Greek: ιντερλούδιο (el) n (interloúdio)
• Italian: interludio (it) m
• Persian: میان‌پرده (fa) (miyân-parde)
• Polish: interludium n, intermedium n, intermezzo (pl) n, wstawka (pl) f
• Portuguese: interlúdio (pt) m
• Russian: интерлю́дия (ru) f (intɛrljúdija)
• Spanish: interludio (es) m

short piece put between the parts of a longer composition

• Bulgarian: интермецо n (intermeco)
• Catalan: interludi m
• Esperanto: interakto
• Finnish: välisoitto
• French: interlude (fr) m
• Italian: interludio (it) m
• Polish: interludium n, intermedium n, intermezzo (pl) n, wstawka (pl) f
• Portuguese: interlúdio (pt) m
• Russian: интерлю́дия (ru) f (intɛrljúdija)
• Spanish: interludio (es) m

Verb

interlude (third-person singular simple present interludes, present participle interluding, simple past and past participle interluded)

1. (transitive) To provide with an interlude.
   • 2007 February 18, Tammy La Gorce, “Between Songs, Interludes That Fall Upon Deaf Ears”, in New York Times‎^[1]:

     Jimmy Jam, co-producer of Ms. Jackson’s heavily interluded and influential 1989 album, “Rhythm Nation 1814” (and producer of a forthcoming album by Usher with interludes), also defended them.

See also

• intermezzo
• intermission
• station break