Definition of "vaudeville" []

• Stage entertainment offering a variety of short acts such as slapstick turns, song-and-dance routines, and juggling performances. (noun)
• A theatrical performance of this kind; a variety show. (noun)
• A light comic play that often includes songs, pantomime, and dances. (noun)
• A popular, often satirical song. (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.

• "It was late in the 19th century that the French word "vaudeville" came into use to describe these programs; the British called them music halls."
• "The Stooges relied on material they'd honed in vaudeville and nightclubs; they knew what they were doing because they'd been doing it forever, and it was organic to them."
• "After his baseball career ended, Anson went on to have several businesses, a stint in vaudeville, and managing the New York Giants."