set piece

noun

plural set pieces

1

a

: a composition (as in literature, art, or music) executed in a fixed or ideal form often with studied artistry and brilliant effect

b

: a scene, depiction, speech, or event that is obviously designed to have an imposing effect

2

: a realistic piece of stage scenery standing by itself

3

: a precisely planned and conducted military operation

an offensive set piece that caught the enemy off guard

4

sports : a carefully planned sequence of movements performed by the members of a team (as in soccer)

A set piece can be used on either a direct or indirect type of [free] kick, providing one of the few times during the game that a team can execute something that it may have spent hours practicing.

—Doug Roberson

set-piece

ˈset-ˌpēs 

adjective

Examples of set piece in a Sentence

a movie with some lovely set pieces

She scored with a set piece.

Recent Examples on the Web

Were there any set pieces that proved especially difficult or more taxing? —Gerrad Hall, EW.com, 16 May 2024

In one stunning set piece, Bupe’s smartphone-shot abuse testimony is wrested and renarrated by Shula before returning to its original teller, the victims’ testimonies firmly unified by this alternation. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1a