rehearse

verb

re·​hearse ri-ˈhərs How to pronounce rehearse (audio)
rehearsed; rehearsing

transitive verb

1
a
: to say again : repeat
b
: 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
4
a
: to give a rehearsal of
b
: 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 noun

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 on the Web Just after lunch, Baldwin and Hutchins were rehearsing a scene that was meant to be a camera close-up of Baldwin — who was playing a hardened outlaw, Harland Rust — slowly pulling his Colt .45 revolver from his shoulder holster while sitting in a pew in a rustic church. Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024 Michael could come to work and just know how to hit those marks and do that line, and rehearse and show up. Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024 Otherwise, the selections went according to form, recognizing those who had plenty of time to rehearse and fine-tune their acceptance speeches over the course of the awards season that began way back in early January. Brian Lowry, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 The film’s producer and star, Alec Baldwin, was rehearsing with a revolver on the set of the film in October 2021 when the gun went off with live ammunition, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. Herb Scribner, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 Eddie and Alex Van Halen had the closest musical relationship imaginable, playing together for nearly six decades — even in Van Halen’s most fallow periods, when the band was between singers, the brothers would rehearse at Eddie’s 5150 Studios to rehearse just about every day. Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 29 Feb. 2024 So, rehearsing with Ryan prior to having the dancers to understand structure, flow, creative. Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2024 Some fun 411 from backstage: The 64 dancing Kens in Gosling's performance rehearsed outside the auditorium right up until the final moments before going on. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024 Twenty-four hours before the Oscars, dozens of celebrities arrived at the Dolby Theatre to rehearse their musical numbers and practice handing out gold statuettes. Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rehearse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English rehersen, from Anglo-French rehercer, from re- + hercer to harrow, from herce harrow — more at hearse

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of rehearse was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near rehearse

Cite this Entry

“Rehearse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rehearse. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rehearse

verb
re·​hearse ri-ˈhərs How to pronounce rehearse (audio)
rehearsed; rehearsing
1
a
: to say again : repeat
b
: to recount in order : enumerate
they rehearsed their complaints in a letter
2
a
: to practice (a play or scene) for public performance
b
: to train or instruct (as actors) by rehearsal
3
: to engage in a rehearsal
rehearser noun
Etymology

Middle English rehersen "to say again, repeat," from early French rehercier "to go over again and again," literally, "to harrow again," from re- "again" and hercier "to harrow," from herce "a harrow"

Word Origin
In the Middle Ages, French farmers used a tool they called a herce. This was a triangular wooden frame with sturdy pegs or teeth on one side. It was pulled over plowed farmland to break up the soil in order to make it smooth for planting. The early French verb used to describe this action was hercier, which meant "to harrow." In most cases the process had to be repeated over and over, so the word rehercier was formed, meaning "to harrow again" or "reharrow." In time, rehercier came to be used with more general meanings like "to go over something again (and again)," as in repeating a school lesson or a story. The word came into Middle English as rehersen, meaning "to say again, repeat." Through the years the English word, now spelled rehearse, has picked up new meanings. Perhaps the most familiar one now is "to go through (a scene or play) over and over for practice until it is ready for performance."

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