slapstick
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
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[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
From slap + stick, the English translation of the batacchio. The slapstick was a pair of sticks tied together that made a loud noise when struck together, and was used by the comic character Harlequin in the commedia dell'arte.
[edit] Noun
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Singular |
Plural |
slapstick (countable and uncountable; plural slapsticks)
- (uncountable) physical comedy, e.g. slipping on a banana peel
- (countable) a pair of sticks tied together at one end and used to create a slapping sound effect for (1)