1the place where an incident in real life or fiction occurs or occurred:the emergency team were among the first on the scenerelatives left floral tributes at the scene of the crash
a place or setting regarded as having a particular character or making a particular impression:a scene of carnage
a landscape:thick snow had turned the scene outside into a picture postcard
an incident of a specified nature:there had already been some scenes of violence
a representation of an incident, or the incident itself:scenes of 1930s America
[with adjective or noun modifier] a specified area of activity or interest:one of the biggest draws on the Irish music scene
(usually the scene) informal a social environment frequented predominantly by homosexuals:I don’t go out into the scene now
[usually in singular] a public display of emotion or anger:she was loath to make a scene in the office
2a sequence of continuous action in a play, film, opera, or book:a scene from Tarantino’s latest movie
a subdivision of an act of a play in which the time is continuous and the setting fixed and which does not usually involve a change of characters:beginning at Act One, Scene One
[mass noun, usually as modifier] the pieces of scenery used in a play or opera:scene changes
behind the scenes
out of sight of the public at a theatre or organization:behind the scenes at London Zoo
secretly:diplomatic manoeuvres going on behind the scenes
change of scene
a move to different surroundings:he decided he needed a change of scene
come (or appear or arrive) on the scene
arrive; appear:the family had gone by the time I came on the scene
hit (or USmake) the scene
informal arrive; appear.
not one's scene
informal not something one enjoys or is interested in:as for that job you mention, not my scene
set the scene
describe a place or situation in which something is about to happen:he set the scene by describing the general vicinity and its history
create the conditions for a future event:she jumped a flawless round and set the scene for a hair-raising jump-off
