emceen.
slang (originally U.S.).
Master of Ceremonies, the introducer of a show or other form of entertainment.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > variety, etc. > performers in variety, etc. > [noun] > compère
chairman1836
commère1904
compère1914
conferencier1927
emcee1933
1933 B. J. Chipman Hey Rube! 194/1 Emsee, Master of Ceremonies.
1938 Sat. Evening Post (Philadelphia) 2 Apr. 8/2 The emcee introduces the guest artists.
1940 Variety 24 July 34 Emcee announcer.
1955 L. Feather Encycl. Jazz vii. 227 He spent three years..in vaudeville as singer, dancer and emcee.
1964 Listener 27 Aug. 319/3 Emcee Steve Race knows his subject from the inside..and he gives Jazz 625 an air of mature authority.
Derivatives
emcee v. transitive and intransitive.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > variety, etc. > perform in variety [verb (intransitive)] > compère
compère1933
emcee1937
society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > variety, etc. > perform in variety [verb (transitive)] > compère
compère1933
emcee1937
1937 Hollywood Citizen (Los Angeles) 14 Sept. Leon Errol..will emcee for the occasion.
1948 Variety 25 Aug. 2/1 George Jessel emceed that event.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1972; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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n.1933