zarzuela

[ zahr-zwey-luh, -zwee-; Spanish thahr-thwe-lah, sahr-swe- ]
/ zɑrˈzweɪ lə, -ˈzwi-; Spanish θɑrˈθwɛ lɑ, sɑrˈswɛ- /

noun, plural zar·zue·las [zahr-zwey-luh z, -zwee-; Spanish thahr-thwe-lahs, sahr-swe-] /zɑrˈzweɪ ləz, -ˈzwi-; Spanish θɑrˈθwɛ lɑs, sɑrˈswɛ-/.

a Spanish opera having spoken dialogue and often a satirically treated, topical theme.

Origin of zarzuela

1885–90; < Spanish, after La Zarzuela, palace near Madrid where first performance took place (1629)

Words nearby zarzuela

Example sentences from the Web for zarzuela

British Dictionary definitions for zarzuela

zarzuela
/ (zɑːˈzweɪlə) /

noun

a type of Spanish vaudeville or operetta, usually satirical in nature
a seafood stew

Word Origin for zarzuela

from Spanish, from La Zarzuela, name of the palace near Madrid where such vaudeville was first performed (1629)