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the·at·rics (thē-ătrĭks)
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n.
1. (used with a sing. verb) The art of the theater.
2. (used with a pl. verb) Theatrical effects or mannerisms; histrionics.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
the·at·ri·cal (thē-ătrĭ-kəl) also the·at·ric (-rĭk)
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adj.
1. Of, relating to, or suitable for dramatic performance or the theater.
2. Marked by exaggerated self-display and unnatural behavior; affectedly dramatic.
3. Of or relating to a film that is being shown in movie theaters: The blockbuster's theatrical revenue was much higher than anticipated.
n.
1. A stage performance, especially by amateurs.
2. theatricals Affectedly dramatic gestures or behavior; histrionics.
the·at′ri·cali·ty (-kălĭ-tē), the·atri·cal·ness (-kəl-nĭs) n.
the·atri·cal·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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