burlesque

/ˈbʌrˌlɛsk/

/bəˈlɛsk/

Other forms: burlesques; burlesqued; burlesquing; burlesquely

In contemporary usage, burlesque is a playfully nostalgic form of striptease — think fans and feather boas rather than explicit nudity — but this is just the latest form of an ironic style of entertainment dating back to medieval times.

Burlesque comes from burla, Spanish for "joke." Comedy has always been an essential part of burlesque art, but it's comedy of a particular kind. Burlesque is satirical, and it uses exaggeration that can be extreme. Early examples of burlesque in English literature can be found in the Canterbury Tales. By the eighteenth century, the word was used to describe often risqué parodies of serious operas or plays. Burlesque became associated with striptease in the music halls and vaudeville theaters of nineteenth-century America.

Definitions of burlesque

1. noun

   a theatrical entertainment of broad and earthy humor; consists of comic skits and short turns (and sometimes striptease)
   type of:

   show

   a social event involving a public performance or entertainment
2. noun

   a composition that imitates or misrepresents somebody's style, usually in a humorous way
   synonyms: charade, lampoon, mockery, parody, pasquinade, put-on, sendup, spoof, takeoff, travesty

   type of:

   caricature, imitation, impersonation

   a representation of a person that is exaggerated for comic effect
3. verb

   make a parody of
   synonyms: parody, spoof

   types:

   travesty

   make a travesty of

   type of:

   mock

   imitate with mockery and derision
4. adjective

   relating to or characteristic of a burlesque
   “burlesque theater”