backcloth
/ˈbækklɒθ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbækklɔːθ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbak-ˌklȯth How to pronounce backcloth (audio)/ (ame, mw)
backcloth — noun
1. a large cloth panel with a scene painted on it, fixed across the rear of a stage
a large cloth panel with a scene painted on it, fixed across the rear of a stage to create the setting for a play or other show
Felipe painted a moonlit harbor on the backcloth for tonight's opera.
collocation: paint a backcloth for [show]
During rehearsal, David helped hang the backcloth behind the wooden bridge set.
The school play looked richer once Talia added clouds to the backcloth.
When the fan started, the backcloth moved slightly and revealed the lights.
用法筆記
Used in theatre for one specific large cloth at the back of the stage. Distinguish from scenery or set, which can include many other stage elements besides this single cloth.
2. the landscape or other visible background appearing behind the main thing you ar
the landscape or other visible background appearing behind the main thing you are looking at
The snowy hills formed a quiet backcloth to the red fishing boats.
pattern: form a backcloth to [main image]
Behind the dancers, the stone wall provided a warm backcloth for the photos.
From the train, Eri saw wheat fields create a golden backcloth beyond the town.
The dark trees gave the white temple a dramatic backcloth at sunset.
- background
the broadest and most neutral word for what appears behind something
- setting
often includes the whole place or environment, not only the visible background
- scene
more general; can refer to the whole view rather than the part behind a focus
用法筆記
This sense is literary or journalistic. Unlike sense 1, the background here is an actual scene or landscape, not fabric hanging on a stage.
3. the wider social, political, or economic situation surrounding an event and help
the wider social, political, or economic situation surrounding an event and helping explain it
The talks took place against a backcloth of rising food prices.
set phrase: against a backcloth of
Against a backcloth of civil war, the film tells a quiet love story.
Public anger over rent was the backcloth to Pedro's election victory.
Political uncertainty formed the backcloth to Saira's decision to open a bakery.
- background
more common and neutral for the general situation behind events
- context
focuses on facts and circumstances rather than a metaphorical scene
- climate
often stresses a public mood or social atmosphere
用法筆記
Most often used in formal writing to frame an event with its broader conditions, especially in the phrase against a backcloth of. Distinguish from sense 2, which refers to a literal visual background.