Pierrot

1 9.9

A sad white-faced clown from French theatre who wears loose white clothes

proper noun
/piˈɛroʊ/

Literature

: Pierrot

Before it, a troupe of clowns, the traditional figures of 18th century Commedia Dell'Arte: Harlequin, Columbine, Pierrot, Pulcinella, and the Surgeon, with four acrobats.

Examples

Pierrot and Pulcinella blow trumpets.

Fiction book (1996)
Oh, what a Pierrot party.

Sylvia Scarlett (1935)
"I also dressed up as a Pierrot once.

Fiction book (1995)
Have you seen a Pierrot caravan pass by?

Sylvia Scarlett (1935)
He went down into town with Pierrot.

Algiers (1938)
He had a green Pierrot costume made.

Fiction book (1995)
I am a Pierrot.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)
- Nice Pierrot costume.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)
Picture of Lulu as Pierrot (in a brocade frame)

Fiction book (2002)
In the performance, he portrayed the iconic character Pierrot, captivating the audience with his melancholy expression.

Synonyms

punchinello

vsPierrot

Archaic

1 9.9

A funny puppet or person who acts silly to make people laugh

is a specific pantomime figure who is melancholic and expressive rather than comic

Surface Forms

Pierrot main

Etymology

Pierrot comes from French Pierre, a form of 'Peter', plus the small ending -ot meaning 'little', so it originally meant 'little Peter'. That name was used for a gentle, sad clown in old French and Italian stage shows, so today Pierrot brings to mind the white-faced, dreamy character.