1. Plural of cothurn; a high boot or buskin worn by actors in ancient Greek and Roman tragic drama.
Usage: archaic; theatrical history
2. Tragic drama or the style of tragic theater, by extension from the boot worn by tragic actors.
Usage: archaic; literary

Examples

• The actors wore cothurns to elevate their stature on the ancient stage.
• Classical cothurns were symbols of serious theatrical performance in Greece and Rome.
• The playwright's work was written in the tradition of cothurns, emphasizing tragic grandeur.
• Ancient performers donned cothurns to distinguish tragic roles from comedic ones.
• The museum displayed replicas of cothurns used in Sophocles' era.