Exeunt

Pronunciation

• US IPA: /ˈɛksiÉ™nt/

Origin

from Latin exeunt ("they leave"), the third-person plural present active indicative of exeō ("leave").

Full definition of exeunt

Noun

1. A stage direction for more than one actor to leave the stage.
• 1854, Anna Cora Ogden Mowatt Ritchie, Autobiography of an Actress; Or, Eight Years on the Stage, To supply the place of scenery, it was hung round with crimson curtains, through which we were to make our entrances and exeunts.
• 1909, Victor Emanuel Albright, The Shakesperian stage‎, undoubtedly the curtains closed at the exeunt of all the characters but one.
• 2002, Alan C. Dessen, Rescripting Shakespeare: the text, the director, and modern productions‎, In addition, several exits that have interpretative significance are changed by editors to exeunts and vice-versa.

Verb

1. (archaic) they leave the stage (a stage direction to two or more actors, the plural counterpart of exit)
• William Shakespeare, Romeo and JulietGet thee to bed, and rest; for thou hast need. (Exeunt Lady Capulet and Nurse.)
• Christopher Marlow, Doctor FaustusEnter two Devils.Wagner. How now sir, will you serve me now?Robin. Ay, good Wagner, take away the devils then.Wagner. Spirits, away! Devils. Now, sirrah, follow me.
• 1921, Montrose Jonas Moses, A Treasury of Plays for Children‎, Jane, Ursa, carrying Thomas, and Moss Bud start to exeunt.
• 1957, w, Big Sur and the oranges of Hieronymus Bosch‎, On that dixit we exeunted.
• 1997, Richard Marcinko, Task Force Blue, That let the small problem of getting the van within proximity, running a few yards of cable, spiking the phone line, revving the engine and frying the phones, removing the cable, and exeunting, south
• 2003, w:Neal Stephenson, w, The lasses picked up their skirts and exeunted.

Usage notes

The inflected forms of the verb (exeunted and exeunting) are extremely rare and often jocular. When used, the word is simply exeunt in most cases.