Borrowed fromLatinexeunt(“they leave”), the third-person plural present active indicative ofexeō(“leave”).
exeunt (pluralexeunts)
- Astage direction for more than one actor to leave the stage.
- Coordinate terms:exit(singular form),exeat(rare)
1909, Victor Emanuel Albright,The Shakesperian stage, page124:undoubtedly the curtains closed at theexeunt of all the characters but one.
2002, Alan C. Dessen,Rescripting Shakespeare: the text, the director, and modern productions, page223:In addition, several exits that have interpretative significance are changed by editors toexeunts and vice-versa.
- An act of one or more actors leaving the stage.
1854, Anna Cora Ogden Mowatt Ritchie,Autobiography of an Actress; Or, Eight Years on the Stage, page35:To supply the place of scenery, it was hung round with crimson curtains, through which we were to make our entrances andexeunts.
exeunt (third-person singular simple presentexitorexeunts,present participleexeunting,simple past and past participleexeunted)
- (archaic, drama) Theyleave thestage (astage direction to two or more actors, the plural counterpart ofexit).
c.1591–1595 (date written),William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, andEd[ward] Blount, published1623,→OCLC,[Act IV, scene iii]:Get thee to bed, and rest; for thou hast need. [Exeunt Lady Capulet and Nurse.]
1589–1592 (date written),Ch[ristopher] Marl[owe],The Tragicall History of D. Faustus. […], London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for Thomas Bushell, published1604,→OCLC:Enter two Devils.
Wagner. How now sir, will you serve me now?
Robin. Ay, good Wagner, take away the devils then.
Wagner. Spirits, away! [Exeunt Devils.] Now, sirrah, follow me.
1921, Montrose Jonas Moses,A Treasury of Plays for Children, page504:Jane, Ursa, carrying Thomas, and Moss Bud start toexeunt.
1997, Richard Marcinko with John Weisman,Task Force Blue, page311: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, andexeunting, south
The inflected forms of the verb (exeunts,exeunting, andexeunted) are extremely rare and oftenjocular. When used, the word is simplyexit in the singular andexeunt in the plural, both borrowed directly from Latin.
"they leave", usually in the context of theatre
exeunt
- third-personpluralpresentactiveindicative ofexeō
