mystery play

noun

: a medieval drama based on scriptural incidents (such as the creation of the world, the Flood, or the life, death, and resurrection of Christ) compare miracle play

Examples of mystery play in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In season three of Only Murders in the Building, Broadway director Oliver Putnam, played by Martin Short, lands on the idea of turning his murder mystery play, Death Rattle, into a musical after the shocking death of his leading man. —Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Oct. 2023

At some point, the mystery play date arrives. —New York Times, 5 Jan. 2022

David Ellenstein and Marc Silver’s 2005 one-man mystery play is about an actor who makes his living playing Albert Einstein and how the famed physicist’s theories figure into the very real drama in the actor’s personal life. —San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Apr. 2021

In Germany, mystery plays were performed on Christmas Eve, traditionally celebrated in the church calendar as the feast day of Adam and Eve. —Amanda Foreman, WSJ, 13 Dec. 2018

Word History

Etymology

for earlier mystery entry 1 in sense "mystery play"

First Known Use

1808, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for mystery play

• andromache
• bioassay
• cabriolet
• cercariae
• communique
• companionway
• compositae
• decussate
• examinee
• fabaceae
• glyphosate
• microarray

Kids Definition

mystery play

noun

: a play in the Middle Ages based on stories from the Bible (as the creation of the world or the life and death of Jesus Christ)