theatre

UK:^*^*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈθɪətə^r/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(thē′ə tər, thē^ə′-)

the•a•tre (thē′ə tər, thē^ə′-),USA pronunciation n.

Show Businesstheater.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

theatre, US theater /ˈθɪətə/ n

a building designed for the performance of plays, operas, etc
a large room or hall, usually with a raised platform and tiered seats for an audience, used for lectures, film shows, etc
Also called: operating theatre a room in a hospital or other medical centre equipped for surgical operations
plays regarded collectively as a form of art
the theatre ⇒ the world of actors, theatrical companies, etc
a setting for dramatic or important events
activity that is performed in a showy or exaggerated manner, esp in order to capture attention or support rather than for practical purposes: the debate was merely theatre
writing that is suitable for dramatic presentation: a good piece of theatre
US Austral NZ
a major area of military activity
a circular or semicircular open-air building with tiers of seats

Etymology: 14th Century: from Latin theātrum, from Greek theatron place for viewing, from theasthai to look at; related to Greek thauma miracle

the•a•ter or thea•tre /ˈθiətɚ, ˈθitɚ/USA pronunciation n.

Show Business[countable] a building or an outdoor area for plays or motion-picture shows.
[countable] a room with rows of seats, used for lectures, etc.
Show Business[uncountable]
- the theater, drama as a branch of art, esp. as a profession.
- Show Businessa particular type, style, or category of this art:Elizabethan theater.
Show Business the quality of dramatic performance:[uncountable]The play is good theater.
an area of activity, esp. where military operations are under way:[countable]the Pacific theater.

the•a•ter (thē′ə tər, thē^ə′-),USA pronunciation n.

Show Businessa building, part of a building, or outdoor area for housing dramatic presentations, stage entertainments, or motion-picture shows.
Show Businessthe audience at a theatrical or motion-picture performance:The theater wept.
Show Businessa theatrical or acting company.
a room or hall, fitted with tiers of seats rising like steps, used for lectures, surgical demonstrations, etc.:Students crowded into the operating theater.
Show Business the theater, dramatic performances as a branch of art; the drama:an actress devoted to the theater.
Show Businessdramatic works collectively, as of literature, a nation, or an author (often prec. by the):the theater of Ibsen.
Show Businessthe quality or effectiveness of dramatic performance:good theater;bad theater;pure theater.
a place of action;
field of operations.
a natural formation of land rising by steps or gradations.

Also, theatre.

Greek théātron seeing place, theater, equivalent. to theā-, stem of theâsthai to view + -tron suffix denoting means or place
Latin theātrum
Middle English theatre 1325–75