n.
Pronunciation: ( ˌ )b ə r- ' lesk
Function: noun
Etymology: burlesque, adjective, comic, droll, from French, from Italian burlesco, from burla joke, from Spanish
Date: 1667
1 : a literary or dramatic work that seeks to ridicule by means of grotesque exaggeration or comic imitation
2 : mockery usually by caricature
3 : theatrical entertainment of a broadly humorous often earthy character consisting of short turns, comic skits, and sometimes striptease acts
synonyms see CARICATURE
– burlesque adjective
– bur · lesque · ly adverb