scene

• scæne (archaic)

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

• 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. (archaic, theater) The stage.

   They stood in the centre of the scene.

3. (theater) The decorations; furnishings and backgrounds of a stage, representing the place in which the action of a play is set

   to paint scenes

   to change the scenes

   behind the scenes

4. (theater, film, television, radio) A part of a dramatic work that is set in the same place or time. In the theatre, generally a number of scenes constitute an act.

   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.

   • 1904–1905, Baroness Orczy [i.e., Emma Orczy], “The Affair at the Novelty Theatre”, in The Case of Miss Elliott, London: T[homas] Fisher Unwin, published 1905, →OCLC; republished as popular edition, London: Greening & Co., 1909, OCLC 11192831, quoted in The Case of Miss Elliott (ebook no. 2000141h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg of Australia, February 2020:

     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.

5. The location, time, circumstances, etc., in which something occurs, or in which the action of a story, play, or the like, is set up
   • c. 1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene prologue]:

     In Troy, there lies the scene.

   • c. 1810, John M. Mason, On Religious Controversy:

     The world is a vast scene of strife.

6. A combination of objects or events in view or happening at a given moment at a particular place.

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

   They saw an angry scene outside the pub.

   • 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene v, page 1:

     Through what new scenes and changes must we pass!

7. A landscape, or part of a landscape; scenery.
   • 1697, Virgil, “Palamon and Arcite”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:

     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: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:

     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.

   The crazy lady made a scene in the grocery store.

   • 1832, Thomas De Quincey, Kolsterheim:

     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.

    Indie just isn't my scene.

11. A youth subculture popular in the Anglosphere in the 2000s and early 2010s.
12. (BDSM) A BDSM fantasy that is acted out.

• 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.
2. (intransitive, BDSM) To roleplay.

• mise-en-scene

• cenes, cense, sence

Via Latin scaena from Ancient Greek σκηνή (skēnḗ, “scene, stage”).

• IPA^(key): /seːnə/, [ˈseːnə]
• Homophone: sene

scene c (singular definite scenen, plural indefinite scener)

1. stage (platform for performing in a theatre)
2. scene (section of a film or a play)
3. scene (a setting or a behaviour)

• iscenesætte
• sceneri
• sceneshow

• IPA^(key): ^*/ˈʃɛ.ne/
• Rhymes: -ɛne
• Hyphenation: scè‧ne

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-West Germanic *skaunī, from Proto-Germanic *skauniz.

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃeː.ne/

sċēne

1. Alternative form of sċīene