a curtain call
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
An invitation to an actor to appear before the curtain, and receive the applause of the audience.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “a curtain call” mean?
An invitation to an actor to appear before the curtain, and receive the applause of the audience.
Is “a curtain call” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.