interlude

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₁én

Proto-Indo-European *-tér

Proto-Indo-European *h₁n̥tér

Proto-Italic *n̥ter

Latin inter

Latin inter-

Proto-Indo-European *leyd-der.?

Latin lūdō

English interlude

From Latin inter- (“between”) + lūdō (“to play”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈɪntə(ɹ)luːd/, /ˈɪntə(ɹ)ljuːd/
Audio (Southern England): (file)

Noun

interlude (plural interludes)

An intervening episode, etc.
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.
(music) A short piece put between the parts of a longer composition.

Alternative forms

enterlude (obsolete)

Derived terms

Translations

intervening episode etc

Armenian: միջնախաղ (hy) (miǰnaxaġ)
Bulgarian: промеждутъчен епизод m (promeždutăčen epizod)
French: interlude (fr) m
German: Zwischenspiel n
Hindi: अंतराल (hi) m (antrāl)
Japanese: 幕間 (ja) (まくあい, makuai), 間章 (かんしょう, kanshō)
Polish: wstawka (pl) f
Russian: интерлю́дия (ru) f (intɛrljúdija)
Turkish: araoyun

entertainment between the acts of a play

Armenian: միջնախաղ (hy) (miǰnaxaġ), միջնարար (hy) (miǰnarar), անտրակտ (hy) (antrakt)
Bulgarian: интерлюдия f (interljudija)
Catalan: interludi m
Esperanto: interakto
Finnish: välinäytös
French: interlude (fr) m
Greek: ιντερλούδιο (el) n (interloúdio)
Italian: interludio (it) m
Japanese: 幕間 (ja) (まくあい, makuai)
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

Armenian: միջերգ (hy) (miǰerg), անտրակտ (hy) (antrakt), էպիզոդ (hy) (ēpizod), ինտերմեդիա (hy) (intermedia)
Bulgarian: интермецо n (intermeco)
Catalan: interludi m
Esperanto: interakto
Finnish: välisoitto
French: interlude (fr) m
Hindi: अंतरा (hi) m (antrā)
Italian: interludio (it) m
Japanese: 間奏 (ja) (かんそう, kansō)
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)

(transitive) To provide with an interlude.
- 2007 February 18, Tammy La Gorce, “Between Songs, Interludes That Fall Upon Deaf Ears”, in The New York Times‎^[1], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 9 April 2023:
  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.
(intransitive) To serve as an interlude.
- 1852 July, Herman Melville, “(please specify the book number)”, in Pierre: Or, The Ambiguities, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC:
  During some brief, interluding, silent pauses in their interview thus far, Pierre had heard a soft, slow, sad, to-and-fro, meditative stepping on the floor above; […]