minstrel
noun
min·strel
ˈmin(t)-strəl 
plural minstrels
1
: one of a class of medieval musical entertainers
especially
: a singer of verses to the accompaniment of a harp
wandering minstrels
3
a
: a member of a type of performance troupe caricaturing Black performers that originated in the U.S. in the early 19th century
Note: The acts of minstrels, who typically performed in blackface, featured exaggerated and inaccurate representations of Black people in songs, dances, and comic dialogue. The popularity of minstrel shows in their heyday played a significant role in promoting negative racial stereotypes. Professional minstrel shows had fallen out of favor and effectively disappeared by the mid-20th century.
b
: a performance by a troupe of minstrels : a minstrel show
Synonyms
Examples of minstrel in a Sentence
Edna St. Vincent Millay was unofficially the minstrel of Maine, as her poetry celebrates its coast and countryside.
Recent Examples on the Web
One in which a racially stereotypical minstrel image seemed to be depicted in their latest U.S. campaign.
—
Doug Melville, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024
His father, who died when Marshall was 10, occasionally sang in a minstrel act and Marshall’s sister, actor Joanne Dru, worked as a showgirl at the Copa Club.
—Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2024
During the silent era and into the talkies, Blackness was showcased in minstrel acts, in blackface or under confining stereotypical depictions that were presented by actors like Bert Williams, Stepin Fetchit and Hattie McDaniel.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 11 Aug. 2024
The poet also elevated the ottava rima, a verse form that had been more commonly associated with popular minstrels.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 July 2024
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Doug Melville, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024
His father, who died when Marshall was 10, occasionally sang in a minstrel act and Marshall’s sister, actor Joanne Dru, worked as a showgirl at the Copa Club.
—Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2024
During the silent era and into the talkies, Blackness was showcased in minstrel acts, in blackface or under confining stereotypical depictions that were presented by actors like Bert Williams, Stepin Fetchit and Hattie McDaniel.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 11 Aug. 2024
The poet also elevated the ottava rima, a verse form that had been more commonly associated with popular minstrels.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for minstrel
Dictionary Entries Near minstrel
Cite this Entry
“Minstrel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minstrel. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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minstrel
noun
min·strel
ˈmin(t)-strəl
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