antimasque

Etymology

From anti- + masque.

antimasque means A comic or grotesque dance presented before or between the acts of a masque. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.

Why “antimasque” is a great word

ANTIMASQUE — [Noun] A comic or grotesque dance or performance presented before or between the acts of a formal masque, serving as a contrasting interlude. From the English prefix anti- (meaning "against, opposite") + masque (referring to the formal courtly entertainment). Earliest known use in the early 1600s. Unlike a "masque" (which is stately, allegorical, and harmonious) or a simple "interlude" (which is a neutral pause), an antimasque is a deliberate foil, a sanctioned outburst of disorder. It is the drunken tumbling of clowns before the entrance of the gods, the screech of a bagpipe before a lute's gentle pavane, the grotesque shadow cast by a torch to better illuminate the noble face—the necessary chaos against which perfection defines itself.

noun

A comic or grotesque dance presented before or between the acts of a masque.