noun
- Plural of cothurnus; high boots or buskins worn by actors in ancient Greek and Roman tragic drama.
Usage: archaic; classical; often used figuratively to refer to tragic drama or elevated theatrical style
Examples
- The actors donned their cothurni before performing the tragedy.
- In classical theater, cothurni elevated the stature of tragic performers.
- The playwright's use of cothurni symbolized the gravity of the drama.
- Ancient Roman cothurni were ornate and distinctive to tragic roles.