Definition of "harlequinade" [har•le•quin•ade]

• A comedy or pantomime in which Harlequin is the main attraction. (noun)
• Farcical clowning or buffoonery. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "But the howling vacuum had opened up inside her again, with its endless vistas of nothingness and no return, the harlequinade of grasping, painted lovers."
• "[1] Sadlers 'Wells, a theatre then dedicated to pantomime, harlequinade and non-verbal theatrical performances."
• "[2] That is, as drawn on the backdrop at Sadlers 'Wells, a theatre then known for scenic effects because dedicated to pantomime, harlequinade and non-verbal theatrical performances."