bis
Definition
Adverb:
- Again; a second time: "bis" indicates repetition, often used in music, writing, or stage directions to mean "repeat" or "perform again."
- Used as a direction to repeat a passage: In musical scores or theatrical scripts, "bis" instructs the performer to repeat a section.
Interjection:
- An exclamation for an encore: In live performances, especially concerts or theatrical shows, the audience may shout "bis!" to demand that a piece be performed again.
Usage Examples
Adverb:
- The conductor marked the score with "bis" to indicate the section should be played twice. (The musical passage is to be repeated.)
- In the manuscript, the editor wrote "bis" next to the line, meaning it needed to be copied again. (The line should be written a second time.)
Interjection:
- After the stunning aria, the crowd cried out "bis!" and the singer obliged. (The audience demanded an encore.)
Advanced Usage
"Bis" in numbering: Used to denote a second occurrence of a number, such as "House 12 bis" meaning a second building with the same number in a street.
- The address was 14 bis, Rue de Rivoli. (A secondary location with the same street number.)
"Bis" in legal or formal contexts: Used to indicate a duplicate or additional copy of a document.
- The contract had a "bis" clause appended for minor corrections. (A supplementary clause was added.)
Variants and Related Words
Bis (noun): The repeated performance or passage itself.
- The orchestra played a bis of the final movement. (They performed the movement again.)
Bis (in compound terms): Rarely used as a standalone noun in English, but appears in phrases like "bis repetition."
Synonyms
- Again: once more.
- Encore: a demand for repetition, especially in performances.
- Twice: two times.
Related Idioms
- "Bis, bis!": An enthusiastic cry for repetition, common in European classical music traditions.
- The audience chanted "bis, bis!" after the violinist's solo. (They wanted the solo repeated.)