n. 1. An intervening episode, feature, or period of time: "Kerensky has a place in history, of a brief interlude between despotisms" (William Safire). 2. a. A short farcical entertainment performed between the acts of a medieval mystery or morality play. b. A 16th-century genre of comedy derived from this. c. An entertainment between the acts of a play. 3. Music A short piece inserted between the parts of a longer composition. [Middle English enterlude, a dramatic entertainment, from Old French entrelude, from Medieval Latin interlūdium : Latin inter-, inter- + Latin lūdus, play; see leid- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
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