SET PIECE Definition & Meaning

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set piece

[ set pees ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Theater. a piece of scenery used as part of a stage set, as a profile or three-dimensional construction built to stand independently on the stage floor:
A few set pieces simulating rocks and a fence constituted the scenery for the first act.
a work of art, literature, music, etc., having a prescribed thematic and formal structure:
the set pieces of Restoration comedy.
a scene, action, or the like, having a conventional form and functioning as part of the structure of a work of art, literature, etc.
a military operation carried out according to a rigid plan.
Also called set play. Sports. a coordinated maneuver with team players in a preplanned formation when the ball re-enters active play, as a corner kick in soccer:
The team’s dedicated practice time for set pieces paid off in their penalty kick results this year.
(in a novel, narrative poem, or the like) a passage more or less extraneous to the sequence of events, introduced to supply background, color, or the like.
an arrangement of slow-burning fireworks forming a design or composition when lighted.

set piece

noun

a work of literature, music, etc, often having a conventional or prescribed theme, intended to create an impressive effect
a piece of scenery built to stand independently as part of a stage set
a display of fireworks
sport a rehearsed team manoeuvre, usually attempted in continuous games at a restart of play, esp when the other side has been penalized for improper play

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of set piece¹

First recorded in 1840–50

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"The only thing is if you can be very difficult to play against, very organised and maybe score a wonder goal or a set piece. I just don't see it happening."

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Even if the film’s practical set pieces had a layer of CGI smoothing slapped over them, the sprawling production design made “Wicked” feel like a throwback to classic-era musicals.

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Occasionally, a shot or set piece that’s entirely out of step with the rest of the movie will appear, leaving the viewer to scratch their head and wonder about what the point is.

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Gabriel is now getting marked ridiculously closely from set pieces but is still able to get away and cause trouble, but defensively he was very good as well.

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Unfolding in the tight quarters of the Henry Murray Stage, the actors rearrange a few minimal set pieces to shift the abstract locale from school to home to work and beyond.

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