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Glite Dictionary
😈 A bully 🎭 A stage screen
tormenter

tormenter

9.8
A tall flat piece at the side of a stage that hides the wings
  • noun
  • /ˈtɔːrˌmɛntər/
  • Jargon
translation icon : tormentera
  • Without a tormenter, the actors waiting in the wings could easily be seen by the audience.

Examples

  • The tormenter on stage left was painted to blend seamlessly with the backdrop.

  • Technicians quickly adjusted the tormenters before the next scene change.

  • The tormenter was broken.

  • Can you see the tormenters from your seat?

  • The stage crew installed a new tormenter to enhance the production's appearance.

  • The tormenters were adjusted to ensure a smooth transition between scenes.

  • Audience members appreciated the beautiful design of the tormenters on either side of the stage.

Synonyms

teaser
vstormenter
  • Jargon
1 8.0

A narrow curtain at the side of a stage to hide the wings

is taller and placed only at the sides rather than above
tormentor
vstormenter
  • Jargon
1 9.9

A flat piece at the side of a stage that hides the area where actors wait

is the same object but presented as an alternate spelled form
masking piece
vstormenter
  • Jargon
9.5

A piece of stage scenery that hides parts of the stage from the audience

is specifically a tall flat side element used to hide the wings

How Tall

wall
∞ 1.0
tormenter
  • Jargon
9.8
flat
  • Specialized
7 8.1
leg
74 1.0

Surface Forms

tormenter singular
tormenters plural

Morphology

tormenter = torment (opaque) = torment + er

The theatre sense is historically tied to the same 'torment' + '-er' form, but the specialized meaning of a stage flat is not predictable from the component parts.

Etymology

Tormenter for a theatre flat comes from the same root as torment, from an old word meaning 'to twist' or 'to press'. A helpful way to remember this is to think of the flat as something that 'presses in' at the side of the stage to hide the wings and frame the scene.