encore

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three terms describe something that happens again in a performance, but they differ in meaning and context. An encore is an extra piece played after the main show, specifically because the audience demands it — the crowd claps and calls for more until the performer returns. A curtain call is the moment at the end of a show when performers come back to the stage to bow and acknowledge the applause; it does not always include an extra performance. A reprise is a repetition of an earlier piece within the same show, often a shortened version of a favourite song. For example: 'The band played a quiet acoustic song as an encore.' 'The actors took a curtain call while the audience threw flowers.' 'The singer gave a brief reprise of the opening number during the final act.'

Common collocations

Etymology

Borrowed directly from French 'encore', meaning 'again' or 'still'. It entered English as a theatre exclamation in the 18th century, when audiences at operas and concerts would shout the word to demand that a performer repeat a piece. Over time it developed into a noun referring to the extra performance itself.