spear carrier
Definition
Noun: A spear carrier is a minor actor in a play, film, or other production who appears in crowd scenes and has no speaking lines or significant individual role. The term originates from theater, where such actors might literally carry spears as part of a background army or retinue.
Usage
The term is used to describe someone with a very small, non-speaking, and often anonymous part in a performance. It emphasizes the insignificance of the role to the main plot or action.
Examples
Advanced Usage
- Figurative Use: The term is often used figuratively to describe a person who plays a very minor, anonymous, or subordinate role in any organization, project, or event.
- In the large corporate merger, he felt like a spear carrier, with no real influence on the decisions.
Variants and Related Words
- Extra (n): A performer in a nonspeaking or crowd role, similar to a spear carrier but can sometimes include slightly more visible background action.
- Supernumerary (n): A formal term for an extra actor, especially in opera or theater.
- Walk-on (n): A small acting part, sometimes with a line or two, but still very minor. A spear carrier is a type of walk-on with no lines.
Synonyms
- Extra
- Supernumerary
- Bit player (though a bit player may have a brief, noticeable moment)
- Background actor
Antonyms
- Lead role
- Principal actor
- Star
- Protagonist
Idioms and Related Phrases
- To play a bit part: To have a very minor role. (A "bit part" is slightly more prominent than a spear carrier role, as it may involve a brief interaction or a single line.)
- A face in the crowd: An anonymous person within a large group. This idiom captures the figurative sense of being a spear carrier.
Noun
-
a minor actor in crowd scenes
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