shakespeare

n. the famous English writer who lived from 1564 to 1616 and wrote plays like Romeo and Juliet.

n. the English playwright, poet, and actor William Shakespeare, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language.

“We are studying Shakespeare in our English literature class this term.”

“Scholars continue to debate the extent of Shakespeare's collaboration with other contemporary playwrights on his later works.”

n. the collection of plays and poems written by William Shakespeare.

n. the collective body of work produced by William Shakespeare; used metonymically to refer to his texts or performances.

“I have a complete Shakespeare on my bookshelf at home.”

“The director's bold interpretation of the text breathed new life into a Shakespeare that many critics had considered over-performed.”

n. a writer who is as talented or famous as William Shakespeare.

n. a person of comparable literary genius or historical significance to William Shakespeare.

“The critics are calling her the new Shakespeare of the twenty-first century.”

“To label any contemporary novelist as a modern Shakespeare is to invite a level of scrutiny that few writers can survive.”

Literary

v. to act in a play written by Shakespeare.

v. to perform in or produce a theatrical work by William Shakespeare.

“The local theatre group loves to Shakespeare in the park every summer.”

“The troupe spent the summer months touring the countryside, eager to Shakespeare for audiences who rarely saw professional theatre.”

Technical · Informal