Music, Art & Culture
Culture · 216 words
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216 words
- acclaim/əˈkleɪm/noun · C1Enthusiastic public praise.
- accordion/əˈkɔː.diː.ən/noun · B1+The squeezebox instrument pumped between two hands.
- acronym/ˈækɹənɪm/noun · B2+A word built from first letters, like NASA.
- actor/ˈæk.təː/noun · A1A person who plays a character in films or on stage.
- aesthetic/iːsˈθɛ.tɪk/adjective · C1Concerning beauty and how things look and feel.
- airplane modenoun · B1The setting that switches off all wireless signals.
- antagonist/ænˈtæɡənɪst/noun · B2+The character who opposes the main one.
- anthology/ænˈθɒlədʒi/noun · C2A collection of pieces by different hands.
- antique/ˌanˈtiːk/noun · B2An old object valued because of its age and beauty.
- applause/əˈplɔːz/noun · B1The thunder of many hands after a great performance.
- art/ɑːt/noun · A1Beautiful things people create — paintings, sculptures, music, and more.
- artist/ˈɑːtɪst/noun · A1A person who creates paintings, music, or other beautiful work.
- audience/ˈɔːdi.əns/noun · A2+All the people sitting and watching a show.
- audition/ɑˈdɪʃən/noun · B1The tryout where performers compete for a role.
- auditorium/ɔː.dɪˈtɔː.ɹi.əm/noun · B2The big seated hall where an audience watches the stage.
- autocorrectnoun · B2The feature that changes what you typed, right or wrong.
- avant-gardeadjective · C1Experimental and far ahead of general taste.
- avatar/ˌæv.əˈtɑː(ɹ)/noun · B1+The picture or figure that stands for you online.
- balcony seatsnoun · B2The raised seating above the main floor.
- ballet/bælˈeɪ/noun · B2The graceful classical dance performed on the tips of the toes.
- band/bænd/noun · A1A small group of musicians who play together.
- banquet/ˈbæŋkwɪt/noun · B2A grand formal dinner for many guests.
- bestsellernoun · B2+The book everyone is buying this year.
- binge-watchverb · B2To watch many episodes one after another.
- blockbuster/ˈblɒkˌbʌs.tə(ɹ)/noun · C1The giant hit film everyone queues to see.
- bonfire/ˈbɒnfaɪəɹ/noun · B1+A big open-air fire built for celebration or burning garden waste.
- box seatnoun · C1A small private seating area at the side of a theatre.
- box setnoun · B2A complete series sold together in one package.
- buzz/bʌz/verb · B1To make the low steady hum of bees and phones.
- canvas/ˈkæn.vəs/noun · C1The stretched cloth a painter works on.
- carnival/ˈkɑːnɪvəl/noun · B2A street festival of costumes, masks, and dancing.
- cartoon/kɑːˈtuːn/noun · A2A funny drawn film or strip, loved by children.
- catchphrasenoun · B2+A line a character says so often it becomes famous.
- catfishingnoun · C1Pretending online to be somebody you are not.
- cello/ˈtʃɛləʊ/noun · B2+The big deep-voiced string instrument held between the knees.
- ceremony/ˈsɛɹ.ɪ.mə.ni/noun · B1A formal event with fixed rituals, like weddings and medals.
- character/ˈkæ.ɹɪk.tə/noun · A2One of the invented people a story is about.
- character arcnoun · C1The way a character changes across a story.
- choir/kwaɪə(ɹ)/noun · B2A large group of people singing together, often in church.
- choreography/ˌkɔɹiˈɑɡɹəfi/noun · C2The designed steps and moves of a dance.
- circus/ˈsɜːkəs/noun · B1The traveling show under a big tent, with clowns and acrobats.
- cliffhanger/ˌklɪfˈhæŋ.ə(ɹ)/noun · B2+The ending that stops at the worst moment so you must come back.
- clown/ˈklaʊ̯n/noun · A2The performer with a red nose and huge shoes who makes children laugh.
- comedy/ˈkɒmədi/noun · A2+A funny film or play made to make you laugh.
- comment sectionnoun · B2The place beneath a post where people reply.
- concert/kənˈsɜːt/noun · A2+A live performance where musicians play for a crowd.
- conductor/kənˈdʌktɚ/noun · B2The person who stands before an orchestra waving a little stick.
- costume/ˈkɒs.tjuːm/noun · B1Special clothes that turn you into someone else for a night.
- critique/kɹɪˈtiːk/noun · B2+A detailed judgment of a work's strengths and weaknesses.
- crossovernoun · B2+A story bringing characters from separate works together.
- cult classicnoun · C1A work loved deeply by a small devoted audience.
- culture/ˈkʌlt͡ʃə/noun · B1The art, food, beliefs, and habits that one people shares.
- curator/kjʊəˈɹeɪtə(ɹ)/noun · C2The person who chooses and arranges what a museum shows.
- curtain upphrase · C1The moment a performance begins.
- dancer/ˈdɑːnsə(ɹ)/noun · A2+A person who performs by moving their body to music.
- dark modenoun · B1A display setting that shows light text on a dark ground.
- debut/ˈdɛbjuː/noun · C1An artist's very first public appearance.
- derivative/dɪˈɹɪvətɪv/adjective · C1Copying too closely from what came before.
- digital detoxnoun · B2A deliberate break from screens.
- director/dɪˈɹɛk.tə(ɹ)/noun · A2+The person in charge of how a whole film is made.
- doomscrolling/ˈdumˌskɹolɪŋ/noun · C1Reading bad news online long after it helps.
- drama/ˈdɹɑːmə/noun · A2+A serious story of strong feelings, on stage or on screen.
- drawing/ˈdɹɔː.ɪŋ/noun · A2A picture made with lines from a pen or a graphite stick.
- dress rehearsalnoun · B2The final practice, done exactly as the real thing.
- drum/ˈdɹʌm/noun · B1The round instrument you hit with sticks to keep the beat.
- drums/dɹʌmz/noun · A2+The instrument you hit with sticks to keep the beat.
- duet/djuˈɛt/noun · B2A song or piece performed by exactly two people.
- easel/ˈiː.z(ə)l/noun · B2The three-legged stand that holds a painting while it is made.
- echo chambernoun · C1A space where you hear only your own opinions back.
- embroidery/ɪmˈbɹɔɪdəɹi/noun · B2+The craft of decorating cloth with pictures in thread.
- emoji/ɪˈməʊ.dʒi/noun · A2A tiny picture in a message that shows a feeling or a thing.
- encore/ˈɒŋkɔː/noun · B2+The extra song the crowd's cheering pulls the band back to play.
- ensemble/ˌɒ̃nˈsɒ̃m.bl̩/noun · B2+A group performing together as one.
- episode/ˈɛp.ɪ.səʊd/noun · B1One instalment of a continuing series.
- exhibition/ɛksɪˈbɪʃən/noun · B1+A public showing of art in a gallery for some weeks.
- fable/ˈfeɪbəl/noun · B2A short tale with talking animals and a moral at the end.
- fairy tale/ˈfɛɹi ˌteɪl/phrase · B1An old magic story for children, ending happily ever after.
- fan basenoun · B2The body of people devoted to something.
- feast/ˈfiːst/noun · B1A huge celebratory meal with far too much food.
- festival/ˈfɛstɪvəl/noun · B1A big public celebration with music, food, and crowds.
- fiction/ˈfɪkʃən/noun · A2+Stories from imagination, not fact.
- film/fɪlm/noun · A1A story told in moving pictures, about two hours long.
- filter bubblenoun · C1The narrow world a recommendation system shows you.
- finale/fɪˈnɑːli, fə-/noun · B2The last and biggest episode of a run.
- fireworks/ˈfaɪ̯.ə.wɜːks/noun · A2+Explosions of colored light in the night sky.
- flute/flu(ː)t/noun · B1+The thin silver instrument you hold sideways and blow across.
- folklore/ˈfəʊk.lɔː/noun · B2+The old stories, songs, and beliefs a people hands down.
- franchise/ˈfɹænt͡ʃaɪ̯z/noun · B2+A whole family of works built on one property.
- genre/ˈ(d)ʒɑnɹə/noun · B2+One family of art — comedy, horror, jazz, or romance.
- graffiti/ɡɹəˈfiː.ti/noun · B1+Paintings and words sprayed on city walls, art to some, mess to others.
- groundbreaking/ˈɡɹaʊndˌbɹeɪkɪŋ/adjective · B2+Doing something nobody had done before.
- group chatnoun · B1A conversation held between several people at once.
- guitar/ɡɪˈtɑː/noun · A2+The instrument with six strings that rock stars hold.
- handle/ˈhæn.d(ə)l/verb · B1To deal with a situation or hold something in your hands.
- harmony/ˈhɑːmə.ni/noun · B2Different musical notes sounding sweet together.
- harp/hɑːp/noun · B1+The tall triangle of strings plucked by angels in paintings.
- heritage/ˈhɛɹ.ɪ.tɪd͡ʒ/noun · C1Everything valuable the past has left to a people.
- hero/ˈhɪə.ɹəʊ/noun · A2The brave main figure of a story who saves the day.
- highbrowadjective · C1Appealing to very cultivated tastes.
- homage/ˈhɒmɪd͡ʒ/noun · C1A work made in respectful tribute to another.
- hype/haɪp/noun · B2+Loud publicity that promises more than is there.
- iconic/aɪˈkɒnɪk/adjective · B2+So well known that it stands for something bigger.
- improv/ˈɪmpɹɑv/noun · C1Performance invented on the spot without a script.
- improvisation/ɪmpɹəvaɪˈzeɪʃən/noun · B2+Performing with no script, invented in the moment.
- instrument/ˈɪnstɹəmənt/noun · A2+Anything made for playing music.
- intermission/ɪntɚˈmɪʃən/noun · B2+The break in the middle of a long show.
- interval/ˈɪntəvəʊ/noun · B2The break in the middle of a performance.
- jazz/d͡ʒæz/noun · A2+The music of swing and improvisation, born in New Orleans.
- jingle/ˈd͡ʒɪŋɡl̩/verb · B2To make the light ringing of small bells or coins.
- kitsch/kɪt͡ʃ/noun · C2Art so tasteless it becomes enjoyable.
- livestreamnoun · B2A broadcast watched over the internet as it happens.
- low batterynoun · A2The warning that a device is nearly out of power.
- lowbrow/ˈloʊbɹaʊ/adjective · C1Appealing to simple popular tastes.
- lyrics/ˈlɪɹ.ɪks/noun · B2The words of a song.
- magic/ˈmad͡ʒɪk/noun · A2Impossible tricks and mysterious powers, on stage or in stories.
- mainstream/ˈmeɪn.stɹiːm/adjective · C1Belonging to what most people like and know.
- manuscript/ˈmæn.jəˌskɹɪpt/noun · C1The author's original text before it becomes a printed book.
- mask/mɑːsk/noun · A2A face covering worn for disguise, carnival, or protection.
- masterpiece/ˈmæstɚˌpis/noun · B2An artist's greatest work — the one the whole world remembers.
- matinee performancenoun · C1A show given in the afternoon.
- melody/ˈmɛl.ə.di/noun · B2The line of notes in a song that you find yourself humming.
- meme/miːm/noun · B1The joke picture that races around the internet, remade a million times.
- merchandise/ˈmɜː.t͡ʃənˌdaɪs/noun · B2Goods sold carrying the name of a show or band.
- mural/ˈmjʊɹəl/noun · B2+A painting made directly onto a whole wall.
- music/ˈmjuːzɪk/noun · A1Organized sound that people sing, play, and dance to.
- musician/mjuˈzɪʃən/noun · A2+A person who plays an instrument or writes music.
- mystery/ˈmɪs.t(ə.)ɹi/noun · B1A story built around a puzzle — usually who did it.
- narrator/nəˈɹeɪ.tə/noun · B2The voice telling a story.
- notification/ˌnəʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃn̩/noun · B1+The little ping and banner a phone shows when something happens.
- novel/ˈnɒvəl/noun · B1A long invented story that fills a whole book.
- opening nightnoun · B2The first public performance of a production.
- opera/ˈɒp.ə.ɹə/noun · B2A play in which every word is sung, with an orchestra below the stage.
- orchestra/ˈɔː.kɪs.tɹə/noun · B2A very large group of classical musicians led by a person with a stick.
- overrated/ˌəʊvəˈɹeɪtɪd/adjective · B2Thought better of than it deserves.
- oversharingnoun · B2Telling the internet more than anybody needed.
- painter/ˈpeɪntə/noun · A2+An artist who works with brushes and color.
- painting/ˈpeɪn.tɪŋ/noun · A1A picture made with colors and a brush.
- palette/ˈpælɪt/noun · B2+The board a painter mixes colors on; also, a set of colors.
- panned/pænd/adjective · C1Harshly criticised by the reviewers.
- parade/pəˈɹeɪd/noun · A2A festive procession marching down the street.
- parody/ˈpæɹədi/noun · B2+A funny exaggerated copy of a famous work or style.
- pastiche/pæˈstiːʃ/noun · C2A work that deliberately imitates another's style.
- photograph/ˈfəʊ.təˌɡɹɑːf/verb · B1To capture a picture of something with a camera.
- photography/fəˈtɒɡ.ɹə.fi/noun · B1+The art of making pictures with a camera.
- piano/ˈpjænəʊ/noun · A1The big instrument with black and white keys.
- pilot episodenoun · B2The first episode, made to test whether a series works.
- playwright/ˈpleɪˌɹaɪt/noun · B2+A person who writes plays for the theatre.
- plot/plɒt/noun · B1What actually happens in a story, from start to end.
- plot holenoun · B2A gap in a story that does not make sense.
- poem/ˈpəʊ.ɪm/noun · B1A short piece of writing in lines that often end in matching sounds.
- poet/ˈpəʊ.ɪt/noun · B1A person who writes verse.
- poetry/ˈpəʊ.ɪ.tɹi/noun · B1The art of writing in rhythm and imagery rather than plain prose.
- portrait/ˈpɔːtɹeɪt/noun · B1A painting or photo whose whole subject is one person's face.
- pottery/ˈpɒtəɹi/noun · B1+The craft of shaping clay into bowls and pots.
- power banknoun · B1A portable store of charge for a phone.
- prose/ˈpɹəʊz/noun · B2+Ordinary flowing writing — everything that is not verse.
- protagonist/pɹəˈtæɡ.ə.nɪst/noun · C1The central figure a story follows.
- punchlinenoun · B2+The last line of a joke, where the laugh is.
- read receipt/ˈɹiːd ɹɪˌsiːt/noun · B2The mark showing your message has been seen.
- reboot/ˈɹiːbuːt/verb · B1+To turn a machine off and on again — the fix that always works.
- record/ˈɹɛk.ɔːd/noun · B1The big black disc old music was sold on — spinning again today.
- rehearsal/ɹɪˈhɝsl̩/noun · B2The practice performance before the real show.
- renaissance/ɹəˈneɪs(ə)ns/noun · B2+The great rebirth of art and learning that ended the Middle Ages.
- retro/ˈɹɛt.ɹəʊ/adjective · B2+Deliberately in the style of an earlier time.
- rhythm/ˈɹɪð.əm/noun · B2The regular pulse of music that your foot taps along to.
- run/ɹʌn/verb · A1To move much faster than walking, both feet leaving the ground.
- satire/ˈsætaɪɹ/noun · C1Comedy with teeth, mocking the powerful to expose them.
- saxophone/ˈsæksəˌfəʊ̯n/noun · B1+The curved golden horn at the heart of smoky jazz.
- science fiction/ˈsaɪəns ˌfɪkʃən/phrase · B1Stories of space, robots, and the future.
- screen time/ˈskɹiːn ˌtaɪ̯m/noun · B2How long you spend looking at a device.
- screenplay/ˈskɹiːnˌpleɪ/noun · C1The written text of a film — every line and scene.
- screenshot/ˈskriːn.ʃɒt/noun · B1A photo your device takes of its own screen.
- scrolling/ˈskɹoʊlɪŋ/noun · B1+Moving endlessly down a feed of posts.
- sculpture/ˈskʌlpt͡ʃɚ/noun · B1+Art with a body — a figure shaped from stone, metal, or clay.
- season[ˈsiː.zn̩]noun · A2One of the four parts of the year, each with its own weather.
- seminal/ˈsɛmɪnəl/adjective · C2So important that everything after was shaped by it.
- sequel/ˈsiːkwəl/noun · C1The film or book that continues the story of the first one.
- serial/ˈsɪə.ɹɪ.əl/noun · B2A story told in instalments over time.
- setting/ˈsɛtɪŋ/noun · B1The time and place a story happens in.
- singer/ˈsɪŋ.ə/noun · A2+A person who performs with their voice.
- sitcom/ˈsɪtˌkɒm/noun · B2+A funny TV series about the same people, with laughter in the background.
- sketch/ˈskɛt͡ʃ/noun · C1A short comic scene.
- solo/ˈsoʊ.loʊ/noun · B2A part performed by one musician alone.
- soloistnoun · B2+A performer who dances alone.
- song/sɒŋ/noun · A1One piece of music with words to sing.
- sonnet/ˈsɒnɪt/noun · B2+The strict fourteen-line poem Shakespeare made famous.
- soundtrack/ˈsaʊndˌtɹæk/noun · B2All the music written for and heard in a film.
- soundtrack albumnoun · B2The recorded music from a film, sold on its own.
- spin-off/ˈspɪn.ɔf/noun · B2A new work built from a character in an older one.
- spoiler/ˈspɔɪ.lə/noun · B1+The leaked ending that ruins the story before you see it.
- stage/steɪd͡ʒ/noun · A2The raised floor in a theater where performers stand.
- stallsnoun · C1The seats on the ground floor of a theatre.
- stand-up/ˈstændˌʌp/noun · B2Comedy performed alone in front of a live audience.
- standing ovationnoun · B2Applause given by an audience on its feet.
- stanza/ˈstænzə/noun · C1The formal name for one block of lines in a poem.
- story/ˈstɔː.ɹi/noun · A1A telling of events, real or invented, from beginning to end.
- subscriber countnoun · B2How many people follow a channel.
- symphony/ˈsɪm.fə.ni/noun · B2A grand long work written for a full orchestra.
- theme tunenoun · B2The music that opens and closes a programme.
- timelessadjective · B2+Never going out of fashion.
- tradition/tɹəˈdɪʃ.ən/noun · A2+Something a community has done the same way for generations.
- tragedy/ˈtɹæd͡ʒ.ɪ.di/noun · B2A serious play with a deeply sad ending; also, any terrible event.
- trailer/ˈtɹeɪlə(ɹ)/noun · B1The two-minute preview shown before a film comes out.
- trending topicnoun · B2A subject a great many people are discussing right now.
- troupe/tɹuːp/noun · C1A travelling group of performers.
- trumpet/ˈtɹʌmpɪt/noun · B1The shiny brass instrument you blow into, with three buttons on top.
- underground/ˌʌn.dəˈɡɹaʊnd/adjective · A2+Outside the accepted mainstream, and proud of it.
- underrated/ʌn.dɚˈɹeɪ.təd/adjective · B2+Better than most people realise.
- usher/ˈʌʃəɹ/noun · B2The person who shows you to your seat.
- verse/vɜːs/noun · B1One group of lines in a poem or song.
- villain/ˈvɪl.ən/noun · B1+The evil figure the hero must defeat.
- vintage/ˈvɪn.tɪd͡ʒ/adjective · B2Old but valued for its quality and classic style.
- violin/ˌvaɪ.əˈlɪn/noun · A2+The small wooden string instrument you hold under your chin and play with a bow.
- word of mouthphrase · B2News that spreads from person to person, not from ads.