curtain call
7
4.3
- noun
- /ˈkɜrtən kɔl/
:
saludo final
- After the final scene, the actors stepped forward for their curtain call, receiving a warm standing ovation from the crowd.
- take curtain calls
- final curtain call
- bow during the curtain call
Examples
-
The final curtain call.
Blog text (12) -
This is the final curtain call.
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The star appears for the final curtain call.
Blog text (12) -
I never took less than twelve curtain calls.
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I promise you I'll never miss a curtain call again.
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Five curtain calls and a standing ovation.
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It seemed to me during the curtain calls that the audience would never quit applauding.
Fiction book (2000) -
Dolly and the cast must have taken three curtain calls, the audience clamoring "on stage" to touch their satin dresses.
Fiction book (2000) -
As the audience erupted in applause, the cast took a graceful curtain call to acknowledge their appreciation.
-
The director announced that it was time for the curtain call, and the performers came back on stage to thank their fans.
Synonyms
53
1.0
An act of bending the head forward to show respect
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound links 'curtain' (the stage curtain) with 'call' (a summoning or appeal), so there is a loose, partly predictable connection to a stage-related return. However, the specific convention of performers reappearing to acknowledge applause is a cultural/theatrical meaning that is not fully derivable from the literal constituents, so a B1 learner would likely need exposure to grasp the exact sense.
Etymology
Curtain call comes from the theatre. After a show the stage curtain opens again and actors are called back to bow, so the phrase means 'an appearance by performers at the end to accept applause'.