puppetry

Dictionary: pup·pet·ry (pŭp'ĭ-trē) pronunciation

n., pl., -ries.

The art of making puppets and presenting puppet shows.
The actions of puppets.
A stilted or artificial dramatic performance.

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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: puppetry

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Art of creating and manipulating puppets in a theatrical show. Puppets are figures that are moved by human rather than mechanical aid. They may be controlled by one or several puppeteers, who are screened from the spectators. Varieties include glove (or hand) puppets, rod puppets, shadow puppets, and marionettes (or string puppets). Puppetry had its beginnings in tribal society and has been part of every civilization. By the 18th century it was so popular in Europe that permanent theatres were built for the usually itinerant puppeteers. Companies presented favourite stories of the French Guignol, the Italian Arlecchino, the German Kasperle, and the English Punch and Judy. By the mid 20th century puppetry had reached television with Jim Henson's Muppets. See also bunraku; Sergey Obraztsov.

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WordNet: puppetry

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Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has 2 meanings:

Meaning #1: the art of making puppets and presenting puppet shows

Meaning #2: a stilted dramatic performance (as if by puppets)

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		Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more
		Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
		WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. Read more