Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1600-1700
Language: French
Origin: Italian burlesco, from burla 'joke'

burlesque

 noun
     
Related topics: Literature, Theatre
bur‧lesque [uncountable and countable]
1AL speech, acting, or writing in which a serious subject is made to seem silly or an unimportant subject is treated in a serious way
2 American EnglishAPT a performance involving a mixture of comedy and striptease, popular in America in the past
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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