rehearsal
n. C / Un. a practice session where you prepare for a performance, like a play or a concert. You do this to make sure everyone knows what to do before the real event.
n. a practice session or trial performance of a play, concert, or other work, held in preparation for public presentation. Often used to describe the process of refining a performance through repetition.
The band has a long rehearsal tonight before the big show.
After three weeks of intense rehearsal, the actors finally felt confident enough to perform without their scripts.
The director insisted on a full dress rehearsal to ensure that the lighting cues and costume changes were perfectly synchronized with the musical score.
From Middle English rehercel, rehersail, rehersall, from rehersen and apparently partly Middle French rehercel. By surface analysis, rehearse + -al.
Countable when referring to a specific session; uncountable when referring to the general process of practicing.