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stage

stage

6 9.9
A large coach pulled by horses that carried people and mail between towns
  • noun
  • /steɪdʒ/
  • Archaic
: diligencia
  • Passengers waited eagerly for the stage to arrive, bringing letters and goods from afar.

Examples

  • - Didn't you come in on the stage?

  • See the lady gets a stage to Salt Lake, okay?

  • Soldier, when does the next stage leave the post for California?

  • You can give me your ticket, and you can take the next stage.

  • Some place where I can get a stage to San Francisco or even down into Texas.

  • When does the Sonora stage come?

  • Well, he left on the bullion stage, riding shotgun.

  • Mingo is just one shabby building that serves as a saloon, stage station, post office, and hospital.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • The historic stage coach was once a common sight on the dusty trails of the Old West.

  • The sheriff mounted his horse after receiving word that the next stage was due to arrive shortly.

Synonyms

stagecoach
vsstage
  • Archaic
13 8.3

A large coach pulled by horses that carries people between towns

is the identical historical service term but stresses use before railways
coach
vsstage
  • Archaic
6 6.5

A large closed carriage that horses pull to carry people

is the specific historical scheduled service that also transported mail
coach-and-four
vsstage
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A large carriage pulled by four horses with a driver

is similar but not restricted to four horses or one driver

Idioms

597 2.9

Performing in front of an audience in a play or concert

2 7.9

Leave a place or conversation quietly to avoid attention

To perform confidently on stage and keep the audience's attention

1 5.1

A place to the right of the stage where actors wait out of view of the audience

Compounds

center stage
  • Informal
45 3.8

A position or role that gets the most attention

23 3.9

Nervousness before you perform or speak in front of people

21 3.6

A different name used publicly by an actor or musician

18 4.6

A person who runs the stage and gives cues during a show

12 3.0

The most important place at an event where the main shows happen

stage left
  • Specialized
9 3.9

The part of a stage to the actor's left when facing the audience

8 3.4

An entrance at the back of a theater used by performers and staff

stage direction
  • Specialized
5 3.9

A note in a play script that tells actors and crew how to move, speak, or change lights and scenery

stage right
  • Jargon
5 3.4

The right side of a stage as a person facing the audience sees it

4 3.6

The background and objects on a stage that show where and when a play happens

3 2.3

The part of a theater where actors perform for an audience

stage director
  • Specialized
2 4.2

A person who guides actors and plans the action on stage

2 3.9

The middle part of a stage where the main action happens

stage crew
  • Specialized
2 3.2

A group of workers who move scenery and handle props in a play

A low voice that actors use so the audience can hear it

embryonic stage
  • Specialized
1 5.5

An early part of an animal or plant's life when it is still very small

A raised platform outside for performances and speeches

People dance on a stage in front of an audience as part of a show

1 5.2

A platform by the water where people and goods get on and off boats

right stage
  • Jargon
1 6.8

The side of a stage on the actor's right when they face the audience

left stage
  • Jargon
1 5.5

The part of the stage on an actor's left when facing the audience

thrust stage
  • Jargon
1 7.7

A stage that sticks out into the audience with seats on three sides

The arrangement of background and objects on a stage to show where the story happens

genital stage
  • Specialized
1 8.2

A period that begins at puberty when sexual feelings mature and focus on close adult relationships

stage effect
  • Specialized
1 3.8

A sound, light, or smoke trick used in a play to make scenes more dramatic

1 9.9

A man who waits outside a theatre to meet actors and ask for autographs

1 8.8

A teacher who talks most of the time and does not let students speak

1 7.9

Small actions an actor does on stage to make the scene feel real

anal stage
  • Specialized
1 8.4

A childhood stage when pleasure and conflict focus on toilet training and bowel and bladder control

latency stage
  • Specialized
1 9.3

A childhood period from age five to puberty when sexual feelings are quiet and energy goes into friendships and learning

microscope stage
  • Specialized
1 3.9

A flat platform on a microscope where you put a slide to look at it

oral stage
  • Specialized
1 7.9

The first stage of baby development when babies get pleasure from sucking or chewing

stage technician
  • Specialized
1 4.6

A person who sets up and runs lights, sound, and stage equipment

germinal stage
  • Specialized
1 7.2

The first stage when a project or living thing begins to form

stage monitor
  • Specialized
1 3.3

A speaker on stage that faces performers so they can hear themselves

1 9.9

A stage in early childhood when a child's private parts become a main focus of pleasure and curiosity

A short time of very strong enthusiasm after a big personal change that makes people act overly excited or extreme

7.9

A part of a bus route where the price stays the same

A feeling of being nervous and excited before going on stage

Surface Forms

stage singular
stages plural

Etymology

Stage once meant a 'stop' on a long road, and a stage coach was the carriage that ran between those stops. That's why in older times a 'stage' could mean the large horse-drawn coach people used to travel from town to town.