minstrel
/'minstrəl/
Definition
Noun:
- A performer in a minstrel show: A person, typically a white performer in 19th and early 20th-century America, who wore blackface makeup and performed songs, dances, and comic routines in a style that caricatured African Americans.
- A singer of folk songs: A musician, poet, or singer, especially one from the medieval period, who traveled to entertain people with songs and stories.
Verb:
- To celebrate by singing, in the style of minstrels: To perform or entertain with music and song, often in a traditional or itinerant manner.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The traveling minstrel entertained the villagers with ballads of ancient heroes.
- Al Jolson was one of the most famous minstrels in American theater history.
- Verb:
- The poets would minstrel the king's victories in epic verse.
Advanced Usage
- "To play the minstrel": To assume the role of an entertainer or storyteller.
- At the festival, he loved to play the minstrel, gathering children with his tales.
Variants and Related Words
- Minstrelsy (n): The art or practice of a minstrel; a troupe of minstrels; also refers to the genre of minstrel shows.
- The tradition of minstrelsy has a complex and controversial history.
Synonyms
- Noun (medieval singer): Bard, troubadour, jongleur, poet-musician.
- Noun (minstrel show performer): Blackface performer, entertainer.
- Verb: Sing, chant, recite, celebrate in song.
Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)
(This word is not commonly used with phrasal verbs.)
Related Idioms
- "Wear the minstrel's cap": To take on the duty of providing entertainment or lighthearted diversion.
- It's your turn to wear the minstrel's cap and lighten the mood at the meeting.
Noun
-
a performer in a minstrel show
-
a singer of folk songs
Verb
-
celebrate by singing, in the style of minstrels
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