Definition of rehearse
rehearsed
;rehearsing
transitive verb
1a : to say again : repeatb : to recite aloud in a formal manner
2 : to present an account of : relate rehearse a familiar story
3 : to recount in order : enumerate rehearsed their demands
4a : to give a rehearsal ofb : to train or make proficient by rehearsal
5 : to perform or practice as if in a rehearsal
intransitive verb
: to engage in a rehearsal
rehearser
nounFrom the M-W Editors
Examples of rehearse in a Sentence
The orchestra is rehearsing a piece by Schumann.
The band stayed up late rehearsing for the big show.
We were allowed to watch the director rehearse the dancers.
lawyers rehearsing their closing arguments
He rehearsed his dance moves in front of the mirror.
Recent Examples of rehearse from the Web
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Before their performance at the Building, Jodeci was rehearsing in the bathroom mirror while men peed in the nearby urinals.
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Harris said the group rehearses weekly and performs nearly every weekend out of the year.
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Photographer Lance Mercer shot Pearl Jam’s first publicity photos in the basement, and when the band moved out with the rent prepaid, Mercer set up shop there, developing photos and rehearsing with his own band, The Briefs.
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Clarice Jensen, the guest cellist, hadn’t yet rehearsed with the ensemble, and there were a few awkward minutes getting everyone together, since the scores for cello and singers didn’t quite line up.
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The first week will focus on theatre design and art skills; the second week is production-oriented where an original show will be rehearsed for performance.
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The night of original historically themed plays written, rehearsed and performed in one day is directed by Chicago residents Josh Blair and Liz Powers and Marc Ryser, of Crown Point.
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Saturday night (May 20) in Las Vegas, fans caught footage of Champagne Papi rehearsing for his Sunday night BBMAs performance inside the famed Fountains of Bellagio of the Bellagio Hotel.
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Everyone’s in the throes of the incubator, sitting in endless meetings, constantly rehearsing and rewriting the pitch.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rehearse'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of rehearse
Middle English rehersen, from Anglo-French rehercer, from re- + hercer to harrow, from herce harrow — more at hearse
First Known Use: 14th century
REHEARSE Defined for English Language Learners
rehearse
playDefinition of rehearse for English Language Learners
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: to prepare for a public performance of a play, a piece of music, etc., by practicing the performance
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: to direct (a group of people) as they prepare for a public performance
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: to say or do (something) several times in order to practice
REHEARSE Defined for Kids
rehearse
playDefinition of rehearse for Students
rehearsed
;rehearsing
: to practice in private in preparation for a public performance We rehearsed our play.
History for rehearse
A device called a harrow is used to break up and smooth soil. Sometimes the first run with the harrow does not break up all the lumps of earth, and the farmer has to take the harrow over the ground more than once. The medieval French verb rehercer (from herce, “harrow”) meant “to go over again with a harrow.” English borrowed this verb as rehersen, later rehearse. When we rehearse something we are, so to speak, going over the same ground again and again.
Learn More about rehearse
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See words that rhyme with rehearse Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for rehearse Spanish Central: Translation of rehearse Nglish: Translation of rehearse for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of rehearse for Arabic speakers
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