Interlude
/ˈɪn.tə.luːd/noun
A short piece or interval inserted between parts of a performance, event, or larger work.
Did you know?Interlude comes from Latin roots tied to *ludus* (“play,” “game,” and even “school”), so the word originally carried the eerie idea of a staged pause inside a larger performance of life.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
interludere
“to play between; to insert a performance or diversion between other acts”
Late Latin
Latin
interludium
“an intervening play or entertainment”
Middle French
Old French
interlude
“an intermission or short dramatic piece between acts”
Late Middle English
English
interlude
“a short dramatic performance inserted between the parts of a larger work”
Modern English
English
interlude
“a brief interval or piece inserted between larger sections of something”