noun
backdrop
BAK-drop
noun
1
A large painted cloth or screen hung behind a stage set.
"The painted backdrop showed a moonlit forest."
2
The circumstances or setting against which events take place.
"The wedding took place against the backdrop of a looming recession."
verb
1
To serve as a background for something.
"Snow-capped mountains backdropped the entire ceremony."
How to Use Backdrop
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA background scene on a stage, or more broadly, the setting or context surrounding an event.
Common pairings
against the backdrop of
a painted backdrop
Word Forms
backdropped past tense, backdrops plural, backdrops singular
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The painted _____ showed a moonlit forest.
Etymology
From back + drop.