stage

A2 Topic:Theater & Performance

US /steɪd͡ʒ/ See IPA manual

Freq #1208

Meanings

1

noun
A raised platform where actors, singers, or speakers perform in front of an audience.

The band walked onto the stage to loud cheers.
2

noun
One step or period in a process or in the development of something.

The project is still at an early stage.
3

noun
A separate part of a journey or race.

We completed the final stage of the trip by train.
4

noun
The work or profession of acting in the theatre.

She dreamed of a career on the stage.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · one step or period in a... level phase

3 noun · a separate part of a... leg

More area board map track world zone

Word family

Forms stagedstagesstaging

Derived forms autostagebackstagecenterstagecryostagedestagedownstageearly-stageendstageforestagefrontstagehot-stageinterstage

Appears in

Phrases (6)

See all

stage an escape
arrange and deliberately carry out an escape

Verb + noun
stage direction
an instruction in a play script explaining an actor's movement or delivery

Noun + noun
stage fright
fear or nervousness about performing before an audience

Noun + noun
stage setting
the scenery and objects arranged to represent a location in a performance

Noun + noun
stage whisper
a deliberately audible whisper intended to be heard by an audience

Noun + noun
transitional stage
a temporary phase during a change from one state or system to another

Adjective + noun

Proverbs (1)

See all

All the world's a stage

Etymology

From Middle English stage, from Old French estage (“dwelling, residence; position, situation, condition”), from Old French ester (“to be standing, be located”). Cognate with Old English stæþþan (“to make staid, stay”), Old Norse steðja (“to place, provide, confirm, allow”), Old English stede (“state, status, standing, place, station, site”). More at stead. Doublet of étage.

*steh₂- Proto-Indo-European stage Middle English estage Old French ester Old French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Theater & Performance General Vocabulary

External links

# stage

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /steɪd͡ʒ/
**Frequency rank:** 1208

## Meanings
1. A raised platform where actors, singers, or speakers perform in front of an audience.
2. One step or period in a process or in the development of something.
3. A separate part of a journey or race.
4. The work or profession of acting in the theatre.

## Examples
- The band walked onto the stage to loud cheers.
- The project is still at an early stage.
- We completed the final stage of the trip by train.
- She dreamed of a career on the stage.

## Synonyms
- area
- board
- level
- map
- phase
- track
- world
- zone

## Derived Forms
- autostage
- backstage
- centerstage
- cryostage
- destage
- downstage
- early-stage
- endstage
- forestage
- frontstage
- hot-stage
- interstage

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *steh₂-
- Root: stage
- Root: estage
- Root: ester

## Etymology
From Middle English stage, from Old French estage (“dwelling, residence; position, situation, condition”), from Old French ester (“to be standing, be located”). Cognate with Old English stæþþan (“to make staid, stay”), Old Norse steðja (“to place, provide, confirm, allow”), Old English stede (“state, status, standing, place, station, site”). More at stead. Doublet of étage.

## AI Etymology
Stage is from Middle English stage, from Old French estage (“dwelling, residence; position, situation, condition”), from Old French ester (“to be standing, be located”). Cognate with Old English stæþþan (“to make staid, stay”), Old Norse steðja (“to place, provide, confirm, allow”), Old English stede (“state, status, standing, place, station, site”). More at stead. Doublet of étage. In present-day use, it can mean a raised platform where actors, singers, or speakers perform in front of an audience, or one step or period in a process or in the development of something.

## Topics
- Theater & Performance
- General Vocabulary

markdown