Barber of Seville
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The comedy by this name (Le Barbier de Seville) was written by Beaumarchais and produced in Paris in 1775. In it appeared for the first time the famous character of Figaro.
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 “Barber of Seville” mean?
The comedy by this name (Le Barbier de Seville) was written by Beaumarchais and produced in Paris in 1775. In it appeared for the first time the famous character of Figaro.
Is “Barber of Seville” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.