dress circle
1
5.4
- noun
- /drɛs ˈsɜrkl/
- UK
:
palco de gala
- The dress circle offers a great view of the stage from the first tier above the orchestra.
Examples
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The dress circle will be protected by Hitler's guard.
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We prefer to sit in the dress circle because it often has the best acoustics in the theater.
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There is availability in the dress circle.
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Miss Thereza is waiting for you in the dress circle.
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More suitable to the dress circle than Row H center in the orchestra.
Fiction book (1995) -
Pardon me, Miss Thereza is waiting for you in the dress circle.
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After he entered, he stood at the head of the center aisle, in the dress circle, with his hat in his right hand, bowing to the audience.
Blog text (18) -
It's my impression that the balcony has been closed for almost the whole run, and I'm hearing that now they're also closing the back half of the dress circle.
Blog text (6) -
He bought tickets for the dress circle, where the seats are known for their comfort and excellent sight lines.
Synonyms
39
6.3
A curved upper tier of seats in a theater above the main floor
A raised seating section above the main floor that sticks out from the wall in a theater
How High
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a straightforward noun–noun composition: 'circle' here denotes the first tier of seats and 'dress' modifies which circle (originally indicating people in dress/formal attire). A B1 learner who knows both constituent senses can directly infer it refers to that section of seating, so the meaning is compositional and predictable from the parts.
Etymology
Dress circle comes from old theatres where the curved balcony, the circle, was the place for people in their best dress to sit and be seen. That's why today dress circle means the seats in the 'first tier above the orchestra'.