scene

• scæne (archaic)

From Middle French scene, from Latin scaena, scēna, from Ancient Greek σκηνή (skēnḗ, “scene, stage”).

• enPR: sēn, IPA^(key): /siːn/

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• Homophone: seen
• Rhymes: -iːn

scene (plural scenes)

1. The location of an event that attracts attention.

   the scene of the crime

2. (theater) The structure on which a spectacle or play is exhibited; the part of a theater in which the acting is done, with its adjuncts and decorations; the stage.

   They stood in the centre of the scene.

3. The decorations and fittings of a stage, representing the place in which the action is supposed to go on; one of the slides, or other devices, used to give an appearance of reality to the action of a play

   to paint scenes

   to change the scenes

   behind the scenes

4. So much of a play as passes without change of locality or time, or important change of character; hence, a subdivision of an act; a separate portion of a play, subordinate to the act, but differently determined in different plays
   • 1905, Baroness Emmuska Orczy, chapter 2, in The Affair at the Novelty Theatre‎:

     Miss Phyllis Morgan, as the hapless heroine dressed in the shabbiest of clothes, appears in the midst of a gay and giddy throng; she apostrophises all and sundry there, including the villain, and has a magnificent scene which always brings down the house, and nightly adds to her histrionic laurels.

   The play is divided into three acts, and in total twenty-five scenes.

   The most moving scene is the final one, where he realizes he has wasted his whole life.

   There were some very erotic scenes in the movie, although it was not classified as pornography.

5. The place, time, circumstance, etc., in which anything occurs, or in which the action of a story, play, or the like, is laid; surroundings amid which anything is set before the imagination; place of occurrence, exhibition, or action.
   • Shakespeare

     In Troy, there lies the scene.

   • J. M. Mason

     The world is a vast scene of strife.

6. An assemblage of objects presented to the view at once; a series of actions and events exhibited in their connection; a spectacle; a show; an exhibition; a view.

   He assessed the scene to check for any danger, and agreed it was safe.

   • Addison

     Through what new scenes and changes must we pass!

7. A landscape, or part of a landscape; scenery.
   • Dryden

     A sylvan scene with various greens was drawn, / Shades on the sides, and in the midst a lawn.

   • 1963, Margery Allingham, “Foreword”, in The China Governess‎:

     He turned back to the scene before him and the enormous new block of council dwellings. The design was some way after Corbusier but the block was built up on plinths and resembled an Atlantic liner swimming diagonally across the site.

8. An exhibition of passionate or strong feeling before others, creating embarrassment or disruption; often, an artificial or affected action, or course of action, done for effect; a theatrical display

   The headmistress told the students not to cause a scene.

   They saw an angry scene outside the pub.

   The crazy lady made a scene in the grocery store.

   • De Quincey

     Probably no lover of scenes would have had very long to wait or some explosions between parties, both equally ready to take offence, and careless of giving it.

9. An element of fiction writing.
10. A social environment consisting of an informal, vague group of people with a uniting interest; their sphere of activity; a subculture.

    She got into the emo scene at an early age.

• proscenium

scene (third-person singular simple present scenes, present participle scening, simple past and past participle scened)

1. (transitive) To exhibit as a scene; to make a scene of; to display.

• cenes, cense, sence

scene f pl

1. plural of scena

First known attestation 1486[1], borrowed from Latin scaena[2].

scene f

1. stage (location where a play, etc., takes place)

• sene

From Ancient Greek σκηνή (skēnḗ, “scene, stage”), via Latin scaena

scene m (definite singular scenen, indefinite plural scener, definite plural scenene)

1. a stage (in a theatre)
2. a scene (in a film or play)

• iscenesette
• sceneshow

• “scene” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

• sene

From Ancient Greek σκηνή (skēnḗ, “scene, stage”), via Latin scaena

scene m (definite singular scenen, indefinite plural scenar, definite plural scenane)
scene f (definite singular scena, indefinite plural scener, definite plural scenene)

1. a stage (in a theatre)
2. a scene (in a film or play)

• sceneshow

• “scene” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

From Proto-Germanic *skauniz

sċēne

1. Alternative form of sċīene