tentpole

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See also: tent-pole and tent pole

English

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Etymology

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From tent +‎ pole.

Noun

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tentpole (plural tentpoles)

  1. One of the poles used to hold up a tent.
  2. (US, attributive, figurative, film, television, theater) A large-scale entertainment production that is a major source of revenue for its studio, television network, or investors.
    • 2016 May 18, David Sims, “The Outcry Against the All-Female ‘Ghostbusters’ Remake Gets Louder”, in The Atlantic[1]:
      His [James Rolfe's] reasoning dances around the simple fact that has set this innocuous-seeming movie apart from its fellow blockbusters this summer—that it’s a tentpole genre film starring women.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Verb

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tentpole (third-person singular simple present tentpoles, present participle tentpoling, simple past and past participle tentpoled)

  1. (broadcasting) To schedule a popular programme between two newer or less popular ones in the hope that viewers will watch them.
    Coordinate term: hammock