Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

minstrelry

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: min-strel-ry
IPA

15

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

3

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The art of minstrels.

noun

A simplified depiction of another culture, especially black African, for entertainment purposes, generally seen as offensive.

Example Sentences

"Possibly it was a tune of West African origin or, equally likely, a piece of mock-Ethiopian minstrelry composed by a white American."
"Minstrelry (making oneself up as “the other” to take the other over, to evacuate difference, to control representation) is indeed a dangerous and unethical practice."
"Spearheaded by Charlie Parker, bebop, or just bop, had evolved in the 1940s, partly as an antidote to the crowd-pleasing showmanship (demeaning minstrelry, as they saw it) that was demanded in popular big band swing."

Etymology

From minstrel + -ry.

Word Breakdown

Suffix: minstrel

Inflected Forms

minstrelries (plural)

Synonyms

minstrelsy

Questions

What does minstrelry mean?: The art of minstrels.
Where does minstrelry come from?: From minstrel + -ry.

How to pronounce minstrelry

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