Burlesco
/bʊrˈlɛskoʊ/noun
A comic, exaggerated, or mock-serious style; also a form of theatrical or musical parody.
Did you know?Burlesque entered English through Italian and French, and its ancestor ultimately comes from a term meaning a joke or mockery—proof that comedy itself can be a kind of linguistic spell.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
LL
burla
“a joke, mockery, or trick”
15th Century
Italian
burla
“a joke, prank, or ridicule”
16th Century
Italian
burlesco
“comic, mocking, or in a burlesque style”
16th–17th Century
French
burlesque
“humorous, grotesque, or exaggerated in style”
17th Century
English
burlesque
“a mock-heroic or comic imitation of a serious work”