minstrel show

1. 1.

   a troupe of performers in blackface typically giving a comic program of negro songs and jokes

   Broadercompany
2. 2.

   a variety show in which the performers are made up in blackface

   Broadervariety show

Questions about minstrel show

What does minstrel show mean?

minstrel show means "a troupe of performers in blackface typically giving a comic program of negro songs and jokes". That is the primary sense; the word has 2 in total, listed in full on this page.

Is minstrel show a common word?

minstrel show is banded "Uncommon" — turns up in careful writing rather than conversation. The band comes from how often the word appears in a large corpus of everyday English, not from an editor's impression.