picture-palace
Definition
Noun: A "picture-palace" is an old-fashioned term for a cinema or movie theater, especially a large, ornate one built in the early 20th century for showing motion pictures.
Usage Examples
- (A large cinema showing movies.)
- (A decorated movie theater from a past era.)
Advanced Usage
- "picture-palace" as a historical term: Refers specifically to the grand, architecturally impressive movie theaters built during the golden age of cinema (1910s–1940s), often featuring elaborate decorations.
- The restored picture-palace now hosts classic film festivals. (A historic cinema used for special events.)
Variants and Related Words
Picture-theatre (n): an alternative term for a cinema, less common than "picture-palace."
- The picture-theatre on Main Street closed in the 1960s. (A cinema building.)
Picturedrome (n): another old-fashioned word for a movie theater.
- The picturedrome was packed for the premiere. (A cinema showing films.)
Synonyms
- Cinema: a place where films are shown.
- Movie theater: a modern term for a building with screens for public film screenings.
- Film house: a venue dedicated to showing movies, often used for independent or art films.
Related Idioms
"The silver screen": a poetic term for the cinema or film industry.
- She dreamed of seeing her name on the silver screen. (She dreamed of being in movies.)
"On the big screen": referring to a film shown in a cinema.
- I prefer watching epics on the big screen. (I prefer watching them in a movie theater.)